CVE-2020-37049: Frigate Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2020-37049 Overview

CVE-2020-37049 is a local buffer overflow vulnerability in Frigate 3.36.0.9, a Windows file manager application. The vulnerability exists in the Command Line input field, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code by crafting a malicious payload that overflows the buffer, bypasses Data Execution Prevention (DEP), and executes commands through a specially crafted input sequence.

Critical Impact

This buffer overflow vulnerability enables local attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise when a user interacts with malicious input.

Affected Products

• Frigate 3 version 3.36.0.9

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-30 - CVE-2020-37049 published to NVD
• 2026-02-03 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-37049

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-120 (Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input), commonly known as a classic buffer overflow. The flaw resides in the Command Line input field within Frigate 3's user interface, where insufficient bounds checking allows an attacker to write beyond the allocated buffer boundaries.

The attack requires local access and user interaction, as the malicious payload must be entered through the application's command line interface. When exploited successfully, the attacker can overwrite critical memory structures, manipulate the execution flow, and bypass security mechanisms such as DEP to achieve arbitrary code execution.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation in the Command Line input field handler. The application fails to verify the length of user-supplied input before copying it into a fixed-size buffer, allowing data to overflow into adjacent memory regions. This classic programming error enables attackers to corrupt stack memory, overwrite return addresses, and redirect program execution to attacker-controlled code.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring an attacker to have access to the system running Frigate 3. The attacker must craft a specially formatted input string that exceeds the buffer's capacity. When entered into the Command Line field, the payload overflows the buffer and overwrites memory structures.

The exploitation process involves:

1. Identifying the buffer size and offset to critical memory addresses
2. Crafting a payload that includes shellcode and appropriate padding
3. Bypassing DEP through techniques such as Return-Oriented Programming (ROP)
4. Redirecting execution flow to the malicious payload

Technical details and proof-of-concept code are available through the Exploit-DB #48563 reference. Additional vulnerability information can be found in the VulnCheck Advisory on Frigate.

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-37049

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes or termination of the Frigate 3 application
• Unusual child processes spawned from Frigate 3 (e.g., cmd.exe, calc.exe, or other executables)
• Memory access violations or DEP-related exceptions logged in Windows Event Viewer
• Suspicious command line arguments or input patterns containing long strings or non-printable characters

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for abnormal process creation events where Frigate 3 spawns unexpected child processes
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution from file manager contexts
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying buffer overflow exploitation patterns
• Configure Windows Event Forwarding to collect application crash events related to Frigate 3

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable Windows Error Reporting to capture crash dump files for forensic analysis
• Configure Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) rules to alert on Frigate 3 process anomalies
• Monitor file system activity for suspicious modifications following Frigate 3 execution
• Implement user behavior analytics to detect unusual application interaction patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-37049

Immediate Actions Required

• Remove or disable Frigate 3 from systems where it is installed until a patch is available
• Restrict access to systems running vulnerable Frigate 3 installations to trusted users only
• Implement application control policies to prevent execution of Frigate 3 in sensitive environments
• Deploy endpoint protection solutions with exploit prevention capabilities

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on 2026-02-03, no vendor patch information is available in the CVE data. The original Frigate 3 software appears to be discontinued based on the archived website. Organizations should consider migrating to actively maintained file management solutions. For historical reference, the original product page is available via the Frigate3 Archive Page.

Workarounds

• Uninstall Frigate 3 and migrate to a modern, actively maintained file manager application
• If removal is not immediately possible, restrict usage to isolated non-production systems
• Enable Windows Defender Exploit Guard with strict exploit protection settings
• Configure DEP in "Always On" mode for all applications through Windows Security settings

# Windows command to enable DEP for all applications
bcdedit /set {current} nx AlwaysOn

# Verify DEP configuration status
wmic OS Get DataExecutionPrevention_SupportPolicy