CVE-2020-8816 Pi-hole AdminLTE: command or code injection
In plain words: The program treats text it receives as instructions instead of plain data. The attacker can run commands on the machine — often the whole device is taken over.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Jun 10, 2022
What to do
- Install Pi-hole's security update for AdminLTE. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- Pi-Hole AdminLTE Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- Product
- Pi-hole AdminLTE
- CISA description
- Pi-hole Web v4.3.2 (aka AdminLTE) allows Remote Code Execution by privileged dashboard users via a crafted DHCP static lease.
- Type of flaw
- Command or code injection (CWE-78)
- Confirmed exploited
- Dec 10, 2021
- US federal patch deadline
- Jun 10, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2020-8816 ·
Questions about CVE-2020-8816
Is CVE-2020-8816 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2020-8816 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Dec 10, 2021, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2020-8816?
Install Pi-hole's security update for AdminLTE. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2020-8816?
Only if you use Pi-hole AdminLTE. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.