CVE-2020-36165
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAn issue was discovered in Veritas Desktop and Laptop Option (DLO) before 9.4. On start-up, it loads the OpenSSL library from /ReleaseX64/ssl. This library attempts to load the /ReleaseX64/ssl/openssl.cnf configuration file, which does not exist. By default, on Windows systems, users can create directories under C:\. A low privileged user can create a C:/ReleaseX64/ssl/openssl.cnf configuration file to load a malicious OpenSSL engine, resulting in arbitrary code execution as SYSTEM when the service starts. This gives the attacker administrator access on the system, allowing the attacker (by default) to access all data, access all installed applications, etc. This impacts DLO server and client installations.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceVeritas DLO loads OpenSSL from /ReleaseX64/ssl and attempts to load openssl.cnf from that same directory. Due to default Windows permissions allowing low-privileged users to create directories under C:\, an attacker can place a malicious openssl.cnf that loads a malicious OpenSSL engine, achieving arbitrary code execution as SYSTEM.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 9.4CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check if Veritas DLO is installedLook for Veritas Desktop and Laptop Option in Windows Add/Remove Programs, or check for the installation directory at C:\Program Files\Veritas\Affected if If Veritas DLO is installed and the version is below 9.4, the system falls within the affected version range
-
Verify the vulnerable directory existsCheck if the C:\ReleaseX64\ssl\ directory exists on the system using File Explorer or the command: dir C:\ReleaseX64\ssl\Affected if If this directory exists, the DLO OpenSSL loading mechanism may be in use and the system could be vulnerable
-
Check permissions on the vulnerable pathUse icacls C:\ReleaseX64\ssl\ to examine access control lists and determine what users can create files or subdirectories in this pathAffected if If low-privileged users (such as Users group or Authenticated Users) have write permissions that allow creating files or directories in C:\ReleaseX64\ssl\, an attacker could place a malicious openssl.cnf
-
Inspect for unexpected openssl.cnf fileList the contents of C:\ReleaseX64\ssl\ and look for any openssl.cnf file presentAffected if If an openssl.cnf file exists in this directory (outside of expected installation), it could indicate exploitation or a pre-existing malicious configuration
A user is affected if Veritas DLO version is below 9.4, the C:\ReleaseX64\ssl\ directory exists, and low-privileged users have write access to that directory where they could place a malicious openssl.cnf file.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data9.4
Upgrade to Veritas Desktop and Laptop Option version 9.4 or later. As an immediate workaround, restrict permissions on C:\ReleaseX64\ssl\ to prevent low-privileged users from creating files in that path.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-36165 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-36165 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data