CVE-2020-14509
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-14509 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in CodeMeter's packet parser that doesn't validate length fields, allowing attackers to send malicious packets. This affects all CodeMeter versions before 7.10, potentially impacting any system using this software protection/licensing solution. Attackers could exploit this to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service.
💻 Affected Systems
- WIBU-SYSTEMS CodeMeter
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with SYSTEM/root privileges leading to complete system compromise, data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to system compromise, data exfiltration, or lateral movement within the network.
If Mitigated
Denial of service or application crash if exploit attempts are blocked by network controls or segmentation.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability involves basic memory corruption through improper length validation, which is relatively straightforward to exploit. While no public PoC exists, the high CVSS score and unauthenticated nature make weaponization likely.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 7.10 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ics/advisories/icsa-20-203-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download CodeMeter version 7.10 or later from WIBU-SYSTEMS. 2. Stop CodeMeter service. 3. Install the updated version. 4. Restart the system. 5. Verify the version is 7.10+.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate CodeMeter servers from untrusted networks and restrict access to trusted IPs only.
# Use firewall rules to restrict access
# Example for Linux iptables:
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22350 -s trusted_ip_range -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22350 -j DROP
# Example for Windows Firewall:
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block CodeMeter" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 22350 -Action Block
Service Disablement
allTemporarily disable CodeMeter service if not critically needed for operations.
# Windows:
sc stop CodeMeterRuntime
sc config CodeMeterRuntime start= disabled
# Linux:
systemctl stop codemeter
systemctl disable codemeter
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate CodeMeter servers from all untrusted networks.
- Deploy intrusion prevention systems (IPS) with rules to detect and block exploit attempts targeting CodeMeter vulnerabilities.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check CodeMeter version via Control Center or command line. Versions below 7.10 are vulnerable.Check Version:
# Windows PowerShell:
Get-WmiObject Win32_Product | Where-Object {$_.Name -like '*CodeMeter*'} | Select-Object Name, Version
# Linux:
dpkg -l | grep codemeter # Debian/Ubuntu
rpm -qa | grep -i codemeter # RHEL/CentOSVerify Fix Applied:
Verify CodeMeter version is 7.10 or higher and ensure the service is running properly after update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual network connections to CodeMeter port 22350
- CodeMeter service crashes or unexpected restarts
- Memory access violations in system logs
Network Indicators:
- Malformed packets sent to TCP port 22350
- Unusual traffic patterns to CodeMeter servers from unexpected sources
SIEM Query:
source="*codemeter*" OR destination_port=22350 AND (event_type="crash" OR bytes_out>threshold OR protocol_violation=true)