CVE-2024-5671 in Intrusion Prevention System Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 06/14/2024
Insecure Deserialization in some workflows of the IPS Manager allows unauthenticated remote attackers to perform arbitrary code execution and access to the vulnerable Trellix IPS Manager.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-5671 represents a critical insecure deserialization flaw within the Trellix IPS Manager platform that exposes organizations to significant remote execution risks. This vulnerability specifically affects certain workflows within the IPS Manager system, creating an attack surface where unauthenticated remote adversaries can exploit the deserialization process to execute arbitrary code on the affected system. The flaw stems from the improper handling of serialized data structures that are processed without adequate validation or sanitization, allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that can be interpreted and executed by the vulnerable application.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-502, which describes insecure deserialization as a common weakness where applications deserialize untrusted data without proper validation mechanisms. This weakness enables attackers to manipulate serialized objects to trigger unintended behavior, including code execution, data manipulation, or system compromise. The attack vector leverages the fact that the IPS Manager processes serialized data from external sources without sufficient input validation, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject crafted payloads that can be executed within the application context. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that no authentication is required to exploit this flaw, making it particularly dangerous in network environments where the IPS Manager may be accessible from untrusted networks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to network security infrastructure as the IPS Manager serves as a critical component for intrusion prevention and threat detection. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain full control over the vulnerable system, potentially enabling them to monitor network traffic, modify security policies, disable protection mechanisms, or establish persistent access points within the network. The compromised system could then be used as a launching pad for lateral movement attacks against other network segments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations that rely heavily on the IPS Manager for network security. The impact extends beyond immediate system compromise as attackers could potentially access sensitive security data, manipulate threat intelligence feeds, or disrupt network operations through the exploitation of this deserialization flaw.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to the IPS Manager system, deployment of network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous deserialization patterns, and application-level firewall rules to prevent unauthorized communication with the vulnerable components. The recommended approach involves applying vendor-provided patches or updates as soon as they become available, while also implementing runtime protections such as application control mechanisms that can detect and block malicious deserialization attempts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive network assessments to identify all instances of the vulnerable IPS Manager versions and ensure proper access controls are implemented through authentication mechanisms and network access control lists. Additionally, organizations should review their incident response procedures to include specific protocols for detecting and responding to deserialization-based attacks, as these vulnerabilities often require specialized forensic analysis to properly investigate and remediate. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1595 for reconnaissance and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, highlighting the multi-stage nature of attacks that leverage insecure deserialization flaws.