CVE-2024-9875 in Privileged Access Server Agent
Summary
by MITRE • 11/21/2024
Okta Privileged Access server agent (SFTD) versions 1.82.0 to 1.84.0 are affected by a privilege escalation vulnerability when the sudo command bundles feature is enabled.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-9875 affects Okta Privileged Access server agent versions 1.82.0 through 1.84.0 and represents a critical privilege escalation flaw that can be exploited by malicious actors to gain elevated system privileges. This vulnerability specifically manifests when the sudo command bundles feature is enabled within the agent configuration, creating a pathway for unauthorized users to bypass security controls and execute commands with higher privileges than intended. The affected component operates as a server agent responsible for managing privileged access within enterprise environments, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations relying on Okta's privileged access management solutions.
The technical flaw stems from improper validation and handling of sudo command bundles within the SFTD agent implementation. When the sudo command bundles feature is enabled, the agent fails to properly sanitize or validate input parameters associated with command execution, allowing attackers to craft malicious inputs that can manipulate the sudo execution context. This weakness creates a direct path for privilege escalation by enabling unauthorized users to execute commands with elevated privileges typically restricted to authorized administrators. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a classic case of insufficient privilege checking within privileged execution contexts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially compromise entire enterprise environments where Okta Privileged Access is deployed. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could gain root or administrator-level access to systems managed through the Okta platform, enabling them to perform unauthorized actions including data exfiltration, system modification, or establishing persistent access. Organizations using the affected versions face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous in environments where privileged access management is critical for security posture. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that this vulnerability affects server agents that may be running on critical infrastructure systems.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to patched versions of the Okta Privileged Access server agent, disabling the sudo command bundles feature if not required for operations, and implementing additional monitoring controls to detect suspicious privilege escalation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting T1068 which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation." Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation controls and privilege monitoring solutions to detect anomalous behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the vulnerable software versions within the enterprise environment.