CVE-2024-11633 in Connect Secure
Summary
by MITRE • 12/10/2024
Argument injection in Ivanti Connect Secure before version 22.7R2.4 allows a remote authenticated attacker with admin privileges to achieve remote code execution
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-11633 represents a critical argument injection flaw within Ivanti Connect Secure software prior to version 22.7R2.4. This security weakness specifically affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the platform, creating a pathway for malicious actors to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization processes that fail to adequately filter user-supplied parameters before they are processed by the underlying system components.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the manipulation of command-line arguments or API parameters that are passed to system processes within the Ivanti Connect Secure environment. When an attacker with administrative credentials submits specially crafted input through the management interface or API endpoints, the system fails to properly validate or escape these inputs before incorporating them into system commands. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories, which specifically address command injection and code injection vulnerabilities respectively. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this under T1059.001 for command and script injection, with potential lateral movement and privilege escalation capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the affected Connect Secure instances. This level of access enables unauthorized users to modify system configurations, access sensitive data, install malicious software, and potentially use the compromised system as a pivot point for attacking other networked devices. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation can occur from any location with network access and valid administrative credentials, significantly expanding the attack surface and reducing the time required for successful compromise.
Organizations utilizing Ivanti Connect Secure must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates released in version 22.7R2.4 or later. Network segmentation and access controls should be reinforced to limit administrative access to only essential personnel, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual command execution patterns or parameter modifications. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular security audits can help reduce the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patches in staging environments before deployment to production systems to ensure compatibility and prevent service disruptions while maintaining security posture against this and similar threats.