In this detailed analysis, we will cover the critical vulnerability identified in several versions (6..., 6...1, 6...2, 6...3, 6.1.., and 6.2..) of IBM Sterling Secure Proxy (SSP), a popular solution that secures file transfers across organizations. The vulnerability is identified through CVE-2024-41783 and allows a privileged user to execute malicious commands on the underlying operating system. This is possible due to inadequate validation of a specific type of user input.

Exploit Details

The vulnerability arises because IBM SSP does not properly validate certain inputs provided by a privileged user. This lack of validation enables the user to inject arbitrary commands into the system, allowing them to access sensitive information, modify system configurations, or even gain complete control over the affected system.

The following code snippet demonstrates how a malicious user with privileged access can exploit this vulnerability to inject arbitrary commands:

# Vulnerable input field in IBM SSP
input_field = "example; malicious_command"

# Assume that the following function is responsible for executing the given command
def execute_command(cmd):
    os.system(cmd)

# Instead of validating the input, SSP directly passes the input to the function
execute_command(input_field)

It is essential to note that this exploit requires the attacker to have privileged access to the application. Nonetheless, in a real-world scenario, sophisticated threat actors often leverage multiple vulnerabilities to escalate their privileges and perform such attacks.

Original References

IBM has released a security bulletin acknowledging this vulnerability and providing information on how to address it. The bulletin assigns a CVSS base score of 8.6 to the vulnerability, highlighting its critical nature. You can find the bulletin here:

- IBM Security Bulletin: Vulnerability in IBM Java Runtime affects IBM Sterling Secure Proxy (CVE-2024-41783)

Mitigations and Recommendations

IBM SSP users are strongly advised to update their systems to the latest available versions that contain the patch for this vulnerability. The fixed versions are as follows:

SSP 6.2..1

You can download these patched versions from the IBM Fix Central.

Additionally, organizations using IBM SSP should follow the principle of least privilege, granting each user the minimum required access to perform their tasks. This approach can limit the impact of privilege escalation vulnerabilities and reduce the possibility of an attacker exploiting such flaws.

Conclusion

The CVE-2024-41783 vulnerability is a critical, high-scoring issue that allows a privileged user to inject commands and potentially control the affected system. It affects several versions of the IBM Sterling Secure Proxy and must be addressed promptly. Users should update their SSP installations to the latest patched versions and employ the principle of least privilege to reduce the risk of exploitation.

Timeline

Published on: 01/19/2025 15:15:21 UTC