CVE-2020-6022
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 · uneditedCheck Point ZoneAlarm before version 15.8.139.18543 allows a local actor to delete arbitrary files while restoring files in Anti-Ransomware.
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 · moderate confidenceA local privilege escalation vulnerability in Check Point ZoneAlarm's Anti-Ransomware feature allows an authenticated local attacker to delete arbitrary files during the file restoration process due to insufficient path validation. The attacker must have local access to the system but does not require administrator privileges to exploit this flaw.
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< 15.8.139.18543CVSS 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
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
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.
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Confirm ZoneAlarm installationOpen Windows Control Panel or Settings > Apps and look for Check Point ZoneAlarm or ZoneAlarm in the installed programs list. Alternatively, check for the presence of ZoneAlarm installation directories under C:\Program Files\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Affected if ZoneAlarm is not installed on the system, the vulnerability does not apply.
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Check installed ZoneAlarm versionIn Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, locate ZoneAlarm and note the version number in the column. Alternatively, right-click the ZoneAlarm icon in the system tray and select About to view the version. Compare the version number to the affected range: versions prior to 15.8.139.18543 are vulnerable.Affected if The installed version is lower than 15.8.139.18543.
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Verify Anti-Ransomware module is activeOpen the ZoneAlarm main interface and navigate to the Anti-Ransomware section. Check if the feature is enabled and active. This feature is typically enabled by default on consumer ZoneAlarm installations.Affected if The Anti-Ransomware feature is enabled - only then can the file restoration vulnerability be exploited.
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Review Windows Event Logs for file deletion eventsOpen Event Viewer and navigate to Windows Logs > Security. Look for Event ID 4663 (Attempt to access a file) or 4656 (Handle to an object was requested) targeting files outside the typical restore folder locations. Cross-reference with ZoneAlarm service activity around the same timestamps.Affected if Unusual or unauthorized file deletion events are observed, especially involving files outside standard user directories.
A system is affected if ZoneAlarm version is below 15.8.139.18543 AND the Anti-Ransomware feature is enabled, allowing a local user to potentially delete arbitrary files through the restoration process.
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 data15.8.139.18543
Upgrade ZoneAlarm to version 15.8.139.18543 or later. Until the patch is applied, limit physical and local access to vulnerable systems and monitor for suspicious file deletion activity.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-6022 — 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-2020-6022 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
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- 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
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