CVE-2020-23060
📋 TL;DR
Internet Download Manager 6.37.11.1 contains a stack buffer overflow vulnerability in its Export/Import function. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into opening a crafted .ef2 file, potentially allowing local privilege escalation. This affects users running the vulnerable version of Internet Download Manager.
💻 Affected Systems
- Internet Download Manager
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise via local privilege escalation to SYSTEM/root level, enabling complete control over the affected system.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges on the compromised system.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper application whitelisting and user privilege restrictions are in place, preventing execution of malicious files.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user to open a crafted .ef2 file; proof-of-concept details are publicly available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 6.37.12 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.internetdownloadmanager.com/news.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Open Internet Download Manager. 2. Click 'Help' menu. 3. Select 'Check for updates'. 4. Follow prompts to download and install latest version. 5. Restart the application.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable .ef2 file association
windowsRemove or modify file association for .ef2 files to prevent automatic opening with Internet Download Manager
Control Panel > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a program > Select .ef2 > Change program
Restrict user privileges
windowsRun Internet Download Manager with standard user privileges instead of administrative rights
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized programs
- Educate users to avoid opening .ef2 files from untrusted sources
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Internet Download Manager version in Help > About; if version is 6.37.11.1, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Not applicable - check via application GUI Help > AboutVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 6.37.12 or higher in Help > About menu.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation from IDM process
- Access to suspicious .ef2 files
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable - local exploitation only
SIEM Query:
Process creation where parent_process contains 'idman.exe' AND (process_name contains 'cmd.exe' OR process_name contains 'powershell.exe')