CVE-2020-1736: Ansible Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x7jh-595q-wq82
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CVSS 3.3
CWE-732
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-1736 is a MODERATE (CVSS 3.3) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource) affecting Ansible libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves incorrect permission assignment for critical resource in ansible. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2020-1736 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-1736
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x7jh-595q-wq82
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 3.3
CWE Classification CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
Affected Product Ansible
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 3.3

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2020-1736

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Ansible dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

ansible fixed: Latest secure release 
pip install ansible>=Latest secure release
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

pip show ansible

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2020-1736, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show ansible

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Ansible in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show ansible command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, where the product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors. In Ansible, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A flaw was found in Ansible Engine when a file is moved using atomic_move primitive as the file mode cannot be specified. This sets the destination files world-readable if the destination file does not exist and if the file exists, the file could be changed to have less restrictive permissions before the move. This could lead to the disclosure of sensitive data. All versions in 2.7.x, 2.8.x and 2.9.x branches are believed to be vulnerable.

CVE-2020-1736 Affected Ansible Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
ansible
pypi/ansible
PyPI
≥ 2.7.0
≤ 2.10.0

References

NVD — CVE-2020-1736 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-1736
Ansible Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/67794
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-1736
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-x7jh-595q-wq82
Ansible Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ansible/ansible
Ansible Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/ansible/PYSEC-2020-8.yaml
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2NYYQP2XJB2TTRP6AKWVMBSPB2DFJNKD
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/BPNZWBAUP4ZHUR6PO7U6ZXEKNCX62KZ7
Ansible Security Information SECURITY
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202006-11

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-1736?
CVE-2020-1736 is a security vulnerability in Ansible involving Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource in Ansible under CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource.
Which Ansible versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: ansible.
What version fixes CVE-2020-1736?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is ansible affected?
Yes, ansible is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-1736?
CVE-2020-1736 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-1736?
CVE-2020-1736 is classified under CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource (The product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2020-1736?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show ansible'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-x7jh-595q-wq82",
  "modified" : "2024-11-18T16:26:12Z",
  "published" : "2022-02-09T21:59:46Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-1736" ],
  "summary" : "Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource in Ansible",
  "details" : "A flaw was found in Ansible Engine when a file is moved using atomic_move primitive as the file mode cannot be specified. This sets the destination files world-readable if the destination file does not exist and if the file exists, the file could be changed to have less restrictive permissions before the move. This could lead to the disclosure of sensitive data. All versions in 2.7.x, 2.8.x and 2.9.x branches are believed to be vulnerable.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "ansible"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.7.0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "2.10.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-1736"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/67794"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2020-1736"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-x7jh-595q-wq82"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ansible/ansible"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/ansible/PYSEC-2020-8.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2NYYQP2XJB2TTRP6AKWVMBSPB2DFJNKD"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/BPNZWBAUP4ZHUR6PO7U6ZXEKNCX62KZ7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202006-11"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-732" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-04-05T15:53:26Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-03-16T16:15:00Z"
  }
}