CVE-2020-36246 – CVE-2020-36246 is a privilege escalation vulner... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2020-36246?

CVE-2020-36246 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). CVE-2020-36246 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Amaze File Manager that allows attackers to gain root privileges by exploiting shell metacharacters in symbolic links. This affects users of Amaze File Manager versions before 3.5.1 on Android devices where the app has been granted root access.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2020-36246 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Amaze File Manager that allows attackers to gain root privileges by exploiting shell metacharacters in symbolic links. This affects users of Amaze File Manager versions before 3.5.1 on Android devices where the app has been granted root access.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Amaze File Manager

Versions: All versions before 3.5.1

Operating Systems: Android

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable when Amaze File Manager has been granted root/superuser permissions. Standard installations without root access are not affected.

📦 What is this software?

Amaze File Manager by Amaze File Manager Project

View all CVEs affecting Amaze File Manager →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Attackers gain full root access to the Android device, allowing complete system compromise, data theft, persistence installation, and bypass of all security controls.

🟠

Likely Case

Local attackers with physical or remote access to the device escalate privileges to root, gaining control over the entire Android system and all installed applications.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper app sandboxing and no root access granted to Amaze File Manager, impact is limited to the app's own permissions.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - This is primarily a local privilege escalation requiring access to the device.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Malicious apps or users with physical access could exploit this to gain root privileges on affected devices.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW

Exploitation requires local access to the device and the app must have root permissions. The technical details are publicly documented.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 3.5.1

Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/TeamAmaze/AmazeFileManager/releases/tag/v3.5.1

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Update Amaze File Manager to version 3.5.1 or later from Google Play Store or GitHub releases. 2. No device restart required after update.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Revoke root permissions

android

Remove root/superuser access from Amaze File Manager in your root management app (Magisk, SuperSU, etc.)

Open your root management app
Find Amaze File Manager in the list
Revoke/deny root permissions

Uninstall or disable app

android

Remove Amaze File Manager from the device until it can be updated

Settings > Apps > Amaze File Manager > Uninstall/Disable

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Revoke root permissions from Amaze File Manager using your root management application
Use alternative file manager applications that don't require root access

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check Amaze File Manager version in app settings. If version is below 3.5.1 and app has root permissions, device is vulnerable.

Check Version:

Open Amaze File Manager > Settings > About > Check version number

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm Amaze File Manager version is 3.5.1 or higher in app settings. Verify root permissions are properly managed if still required.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual root access attempts by Amaze File Manager
Shell command execution with metacharacters from the app

Network Indicators:

Not applicable - local privilege escalation

SIEM Query:

Not applicable for typical Android environments

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2020-36246

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-78

Published: February 19, 2021

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

https://compass-security.com/fileadmin/Research/Advisories/2020-18_CSNC-2020-030_Amaze_FileManager_Privilege_Escalation.txt Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/TeamAmaze/AmazeFileManager/releases/tag/v3.5.1 Release Notes,Third Party Advisory
https://compass-security.com/fileadmin/Research/Advisories/2020-18_CSNC-2020-030_Amaze_FileManager_Privilege_Escalation.txt Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/TeamAmaze/AmazeFileManager/releases/tag/v3.5.1 Release Notes,Third Party Advisory

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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