CVE-2020-37042: Frigate Professional Buffer Overflow Flaw

CVE-2020-37042 Overview

CVE-2020-37042 is a local buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Frigate Professional 3.36.0.9, a file manager application. The vulnerability exists in the 'Find Computer' feature and allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by overflowing the computer name input field. By crafting a malicious payload that triggers the buffer overflow condition, an attacker can gain code execution on the vulnerable system.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation of this buffer overflow vulnerability enables arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the application user, potentially allowing complete system compromise.

Affected Products

• Frigate Professional 3.36.0.9

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-30 - CVE CVE-2020-37042 published to NVD
• 2026-02-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-37042

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-120 (Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input), commonly known as a classic buffer overflow. The 'Find Computer' feature in Frigate Professional 3.36.0.9 fails to properly validate the length of user-supplied input in the computer name field before copying it into a fixed-size buffer. When an attacker provides an oversized input string, the data overflows the allocated buffer space and overwrites adjacent memory regions, including potentially critical control structures such as the return address on the stack.

The local attack vector requires user interaction, meaning an attacker would need to convince a user to input the malicious payload or execute a specially crafted file that triggers the vulnerable functionality. Proof-of-concept exploits have demonstrated the ability to launch arbitrary applications (such as calculator) as evidence of code execution capability.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper bounds checking in the 'Find Computer' functionality. The application allocates a fixed-size buffer for the computer name input but does not verify that user-supplied data fits within this buffer before performing the copy operation. This classic memory safety issue allows attackers to corrupt memory and redirect program execution flow.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the system and user interaction to trigger the vulnerable code path. An attacker must craft a payload containing:

1. Padding data to fill the allocated buffer
2. Additional data to overwrite the saved return address or other control structures
3. Shellcode or ROP chain to redirect execution to attacker-controlled code

The exploitation process involves entering the malicious payload into the 'Find Computer' dialog's computer name field, which triggers the buffer overflow when processed by the application. Technical details and proof-of-concept code are available through the Exploit-DB #48579 reference.

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-37042

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crash dumps or application errors from Frigate Professional 3
• Unusual child processes spawned by Frigate3.exe or related executables
• Memory access violations or exception handling events associated with the application

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for anomalous behavior from Frigate Professional 3 processes, including unexpected network connections or child process creation
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect buffer overflow exploitation techniques
• Use application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized code execution

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Windows Event logging for application crashes and Windows Error Reporting
• Implement behavioral analysis monitoring for file manager applications
• Configure alerts for any processes exhibiting exploitation indicators such as shellcode injection patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-37042

Immediate Actions Required

• Consider uninstalling or discontinuing use of Frigate Professional 3.36.0.9 if not required for business operations
• Restrict access to systems with the vulnerable software installed
• Apply application hardening measures such as ASLR and DEP enforcement
• Educate users about the risks of entering untrusted data into application dialogs

Patch Information

No vendor patch information is currently available for this vulnerability. The Archived Frigate3 Index Page indicates the software may no longer be actively maintained. Organizations should evaluate alternative file manager solutions.

For additional vulnerability details, refer to the VulnCheck Advisory on Frigate Professional.

Workarounds

• Remove or disable the 'Find Computer' feature if possible without impacting critical operations
• Implement application-level controls to prevent oversized input in text fields
• Deploy exploit mitigation technologies such as Windows Defender Exploit Guard
• Consider migrating to actively supported file management software