CVE-2020-15140: Red DiscordBot Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-55j9-849x-26h4
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CVSS 8.2
CWE-74
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-15140 is a MODERATE (CVSS 8.2) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')) affecting Red DiscordBot libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves remote code execution in red discord bot. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.3.11.

CVE-2020-15140 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-15140
GHSA Identifier GHSA-55j9-849x-26h4
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.2
CWE Classification CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection')
Affected Product Red DiscordBot
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.2

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2020-15140

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

Red-DiscordBot fixed: 3.3.11 
pip install Red-DiscordBot>=3.3.11
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 Red-DiscordBot

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2020-15140, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show Red-DiscordBot

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Red DiscordBot in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.3.11), your application is affected.

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

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component. In Red DiscordBot, 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

### Impact A RCE exploit has been discovered in the Trivia module: this exploit allows Discord users with specifically crafted usernames to inject code into the Trivia module's leaderboard command. By abusing this exploit, it's possible to perform destructive actions and/or access sensitive information. ### Patches This critical exploit has been fixed on version 3.3.11. ### Workarounds Unloading the Trivia module with ``unload trivia`` can render this exploit not accessible. We still highly recommend updating to 3.3.11 to completely patch this issue. ### References https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot/pull/4175 ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Open an issue in [Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot](https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot) * Over on our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/red)

CVE-2020-15140 Affected Red DiscordBot Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.3.11
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
Red-DiscordBot
pypi/Red-DiscordBot
PyPI
< 3.3.11
3.3.11

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot/security/advisories/GHSA-55j9-849x-26h4
NVD — CVE-2020-15140 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15140
Red DiscordBot Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot/pull/4175/commits/9ab536235bafc2b42c3c17d7ce26f1cc64482a81
Red DiscordBot Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot
Red DiscordBot Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/red-discordbot/PYSEC-2020-265.yaml

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-15140?
CVE-2020-15140 is a security vulnerability in Red DiscordBot involving Remote Code Execution in Red Discord Bot under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection').
Which Red DiscordBot versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.3.11 across affected packages: Red-DiscordBot.
What version fixes CVE-2020-15140?
Upgrading to 3.3.11 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is Red-DiscordBot affected?
Yes, Red-DiscordBot is affected in releases prior to 3.3.11. Upgrade your dependency to 3.3.11 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-15140?
CVE-2020-15140 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.2 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-15140?
CVE-2020-15140 is classified under CWE-74: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component ('Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a command, data structure, or record using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify how it is parsed or interpreted when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2020-15140?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show Red-DiscordBot'. 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-55j9-849x-26h4",
  "modified" : "2024-10-25T21:45:55Z",
  "published" : "2020-08-21T16:30:52Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-15140" ],
  "summary" : "Remote Code Execution in Red Discord Bot",
  "details" : "### Impact\nA RCE exploit has been discovered in the Trivia module: this exploit allows Discord users with specifically crafted usernames to inject code into the Trivia module's leaderboard command. By abusing this exploit, it's possible to perform destructive actions and/or access sensitive information.\n\n### Patches\nThis critical exploit has been fixed on version 3.3.11.\n\n### Workarounds\nUnloading the Trivia module with ``unload trivia`` can render this exploit not accessible. We still highly recommend updating to 3.3.11 to completely patch this issue.\n\n### References\nhttps://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot/pull/4175\n\n### For more information\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n* Open an issue in [Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot](https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot)\n* Over on our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/red)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "Red-DiscordBot"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.3.11"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot/security/advisories/GHSA-55j9-849x-26h4"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15140"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot/pull/4175/commits/9ab536235bafc2b42c3c17d7ce26f1cc64482a81"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/Cog-Creators/Red-DiscordBot"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/red-discordbot/PYSEC-2020-265.yaml"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-74" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-08-21T16:30:30Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-08-21T17:15:00Z"
  }
}