CVE-2024-13842 in Connect Secure
Summary
by MITRE • 02/11/2025
A hardcoded key in Ivanti Connect Secure before version 22.7R2.3 and Ivanti Policy Secure before version 22.7R1.3 allows a local authenticated attacker with admin privileges to read sensitive data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-13842 represents a critical security flaw in Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure software versions prior to 22.7R2.3 and 22.7R1.3 respectively. This issue stems from the presence of a hardcoded cryptographic key within the software implementation, creating a fundamental weakness that undermines the security posture of affected systems. The vulnerability specifically targets local authenticated attackers who possess administrative privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative access is more broadly distributed or where privilege escalation attacks are possible.
The technical nature of this flaw involves the inclusion of a static cryptographic key within the application code, which violates fundamental security principles outlined in CWE-327 - Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm and CWE-798 - Use of Hard-coded Credentials. This hardcoded key serves as a backdoor mechanism that allows authenticated administrators to access sensitive data that should remain protected. The implementation likely stores this key in plaintext within configuration files, source code repositories, or embedded within the binary itself, making it accessible to any user with administrative access. The vulnerability demonstrates poor secure coding practices and violates the principle of least privilege, as the key provides unrestricted access to sensitive information without proper authentication mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Ivanti security solutions for their network protection and policy enforcement. The local authenticated attacker with admin privileges can exploit this weakness to extract confidential information, potentially including user credentials, network configurations, policy settings, and other sensitive operational data. The impact extends beyond simple data theft, as this access could enable further exploitation activities such as privilege escalation, lateral movement within the network, or the establishment of persistent access points. Organizations may face regulatory compliance violations, data breaches, and reputational damage if this vulnerability is exploited, particularly in sectors with strict data protection requirements such as financial services, healthcare, or government agencies.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-13842 require immediate action to address the hardcoded key issue and strengthen overall security posture. Organizations should prioritize updating their Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure installations to the patched versions 22.7R2.3 and 22.7R1.3 respectively, which contain proper cryptographic key management and elimination of hardcoded credentials. System administrators must conduct thorough inventory checks to identify any instances of the vulnerable software and ensure complete patch deployment across all affected systems. Additional security measures include implementing strict access controls for administrative accounts, monitoring for unauthorized access attempts, and conducting regular security audits of system configurations. The remediation process should also involve reviewing and rotating any cryptographic keys that may have been compromised through the hardcoded implementation, following the ATT&CK framework's guidance on credential access and privilege escalation techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive audit trails for forensic analysis.