CVE-2020-37001: Frigate Professional Buffer Overflow Flaw

CVE-2020-37001 Overview

CVE-2020-37001 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Frigate Professional 3.36.0.9, a file management application. The vulnerability exists in the Pack File feature and allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by overflowing the 'Archive To' input field. Successful exploitation enables attackers to overwrite the Structured Exception Handler (SEH) and leverage an egghunter technique to execute a reverse shell payload.

Critical Impact

Attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution on vulnerable systems through SEH overwrite combined with egghunter shellcode technique, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

Affected Products

• Frigate Professional 3.36.0.9
• Pack File feature component

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-29 - CVE CVE-2020-37001 published to NVD
• 2026-01-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-37001

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow). The flaw exists within the Pack File feature of Frigate Professional, specifically in how the application handles user input in the 'Archive To' field. When a user enters an excessively long string in this field, the application fails to properly validate the input length before copying it to a fixed-size stack buffer.

The buffer overflow condition allows an attacker to corrupt adjacent stack memory, including the Structured Exception Handler (SEH) chain. By carefully crafting the overflow payload, an attacker can redirect program execution when an exception is triggered, bypassing certain security mechanisms that may be in place.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation in the Pack File feature. The 'Archive To' input field accepts user-supplied data without adequate bounds checking, allowing data to overflow the allocated buffer on the stack. This failure to validate input length before memory operations is a classic example of unsafe string handling that leads to stack-based buffer overflows.

Attack Vector

This is a local attack vector requiring user interaction. An attacker must convince a user to interact with the Pack File feature and enter a malicious payload in the 'Archive To' field. The attack chain involves:

1. Crafting a payload that overflows the stack buffer
2. Overwriting the SEH pointer with a controlled address
3. Using an egghunter technique to locate and execute a secondary payload (such as a reverse shell) in memory

The exploitation technique leverages the SEH overwrite to gain control of program execution flow, then employs an egghunter—a small piece of shellcode that searches memory for a larger payload marked with a unique tag—to execute the final malicious code.

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-37001

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual crash dumps or exception logs from frigate.exe or related processes
• Evidence of egghunter shellcode patterns in process memory (characteristic memory scanning behavior)
• Unexpected outbound network connections from the Frigate Professional process
• Abnormal input lengths in application log files related to the Pack File feature

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for SEH chain corruption attempts through endpoint detection solutions
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution
• Deploy memory protection mechanisms that can detect stack buffer overflow exploitation attempts
• Use behavioral analysis to identify shellcode execution patterns such as egghunter techniques

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Windows Event logging for application crashes and exceptions
• Monitor process behavior for signs of code injection or unusual memory operations
• Implement network monitoring to detect reverse shell connection attempts from unexpected processes
• Review system logs for evidence of exploitation attempts targeting file management applications

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-37001

Immediate Actions Required

• Discontinue use of Frigate Professional 3.36.0.9 until a patched version is available
• Implement application control policies to restrict execution of vulnerable software
• Consider using alternative file management software that is actively maintained
• Enable Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) at the system level

Patch Information

No vendor patch information is currently available. Frigate Professional appears to be legacy software that may no longer be actively maintained. Organizations should consider migrating to alternative file management solutions that receive regular security updates. For technical details about this vulnerability, see the VulnCheck Advisory and Exploit-DB #48688.

Workarounds

• Remove or disable Frigate Professional from production systems
• If removal is not immediately possible, restrict access to the Pack File feature
• Implement strict input validation at the network perimeter for any files processed by the application
• Deploy endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting buffer overflow exploitation attempts
• Isolate systems running vulnerable software from critical network segments