CVE-2024-13813 in Secure Access Client
Summary
by MITRE • 02/11/2025
Insufficient permissions in Ivanti Secure Access Client before version 22.8R1 allows a local authenticated attacker to delete arbitrary files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-13813 represents a critical permission flaw within the Ivanti Secure Access Client software ecosystem. This issue affects versions prior to 22.8R1 and specifically targets the client-side component responsible for managing network access and security policies. The flaw manifests as insufficient access controls that permit local authenticated users to execute unauthorized file deletion operations across the system. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and availability of system resources by allowing attackers with minimal privileges to remove critical files that could compromise the entire security infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper privilege validation mechanisms within the client application's file management subsystem. When a user authenticates to the Ivanti Secure Access Client, the system fails to properly verify whether the authenticated entity possesses sufficient permissions to perform destructive operations such as file deletion. This weakness creates a privilege escalation path where legitimate users can leverage their authenticated session to manipulate system files outside their intended scope. The flaw operates at the application level rather than the operating system level, making it particularly insidious as it bypasses traditional OS-level access controls and security boundaries.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise security infrastructure that relies on Ivanti Secure Access Client for remote access management. Organizations using affected versions may experience unauthorized data loss, system instability, and potential service disruption when attackers exploit this weakness to remove critical system files or configuration data. The local authentication requirement means that the attack vector does not necessitate network exposure, making it more difficult to detect and prevent. Security teams face increased risk of insider threats or compromised user accounts being leveraged for malicious file deletion activities that could cascade into broader system failures.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which specifically addresses improper file permissions and inadequate access control mechanisms. From an adversarial perspective, this weakness maps to ATT&CK technique T1070.004 for indicator removal and T1486 for data encryption for ransomware. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to remove security-related files, logs, or configuration components that would otherwise aid in detection or recovery efforts. The impact extends beyond immediate file deletion as it can facilitate further compromise by removing forensic evidence or security controls that protect against additional attacks. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader attack chain where initial access leads to privilege escalation and system manipulation through unauthorized file operations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment to version 22.8R1 or later, which addresses the underlying permission validation issues. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for unauthorized file deletion activities and establish strict access control policies for user accounts that interact with the Secure Access Client. Network segmentation and privilege minimization practices can reduce the potential impact of exploitation by limiting the scope of files that authenticated users can access. Regular security assessments should include verification of file permission settings and access control configurations to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other components of the security infrastructure.