CVE-2023-38035: Ivanti MobileIron Sentry Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2023-38035 Overview

CVE-2023-38035 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability affecting the MICS Admin Portal in Ivanti MobileIron Sentry versions 9.18.0 and below. The vulnerability exists due to an insufficiently restrictive Apache HTTPD configuration, which allows attackers to bypass authentication controls on the administrative interface. This flaw enables unauthenticated remote attackers to gain administrative access to the Sentry management portal, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and has been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication to gain administrative access, enabling remote code execution and full system compromise of affected Ivanti MobileIron Sentry deployments.

Affected Products

• Ivanti MobileIron Sentry versions 9.18.0 and below
• All prior versions of MobileIron Sentry with the MICS Admin Portal enabled

Discovery Timeline

• August 21, 2023 - CVE-2023-38035 published to NVD
• October 31, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2023-38035

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents an authorization bypass (CWE-863) in the Ivanti MobileIron Sentry administrative interface. The root cause lies in an insufficiently restrictive Apache HTTPD configuration that fails to properly enforce authentication requirements for certain API endpoints.

When the MICS Admin Portal receives requests, the Apache web server should validate that the requester has proper authentication credentials before granting access to administrative functions. However, due to misconfiguration in the Apache HTTPD directives, specific API endpoints can be accessed without proper authentication validation. This allows attackers to interact directly with administrative APIs that should be protected.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any attacker who can reach the MICS Admin Portal interface (typically exposed on port 8443) can potentially exploit this flaw without requiring any prior authentication or user interaction.

Root Cause

The vulnerability stems from an insufficiently restrictive Apache HTTPD configuration within the MICS Admin Portal component. The configuration fails to properly restrict access to sensitive administrative API endpoints, allowing authentication controls to be bypassed. This misconfiguration effectively leaves certain privileged functions accessible to unauthenticated users.

Attack Vector

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely over the network without requiring any authentication credentials or user interaction. The attack flow typically involves:

1. Identifying an exposed Ivanti MobileIron Sentry instance with the MICS Admin Portal accessible
2. Crafting HTTP requests to administrative API endpoints that bypass authentication checks
3. Leveraging the bypassed authentication to execute administrative commands
4. Potentially achieving remote code execution on the underlying system

The vulnerability has been confirmed to be actively exploited in the wild, with public exploit code available on Packet Storm demonstrating authentication bypass leading to remote code execution.

Detection Methods for CVE-2023-38035

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected or unauthorized administrative sessions in Sentry logs
• Anomalous HTTP requests to the MICS Admin Portal on port 8443 from unknown IP addresses
• Unusual API calls to administrative endpoints without corresponding authentication events
• Signs of remote code execution such as unexpected processes or file system changes on Sentry appliances

Detection Strategies

• Monitor network traffic for unauthenticated requests to the Sentry Admin Portal API endpoints
• Review Apache HTTPD access logs for patterns consistent with authentication bypass attempts
• Deploy web application firewall rules to detect exploitation patterns for CVE-2023-38035
• Use SentinelOne Singularity platform to detect post-exploitation activities such as remote code execution attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on Ivanti MobileIron Sentry appliances and forward logs to a SIEM
• Implement network segmentation to restrict access to the MICS Admin Portal to authorized management networks only
• Set up alerts for any administrative access attempts from untrusted IP addresses
• Regularly audit administrative user accounts and access patterns for anomalies

How to Mitigate CVE-2023-38035

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the security patch provided by Ivanti immediately for all affected MobileIron Sentry installations
• Restrict network access to the MICS Admin Portal (port 8443) using firewall rules to limit exposure to trusted management networks only
• Review system logs for signs of prior exploitation and conduct forensic analysis if compromise indicators are detected
• Consider taking vulnerable Sentry appliances offline until patching can be completed if immediate patching is not possible

Patch Information

Ivanti has released security patches to address this vulnerability. Organizations should immediately update affected MobileIron Sentry installations to a patched version. Detailed patch information and update instructions are available in the official Ivanti security advisory. Given that this vulnerability is being actively exploited, patching should be treated as the highest priority.

Workarounds

• Implement strict network access controls to limit MICS Admin Portal access to only authorized IP addresses
• Use a VPN or jump host architecture to add an additional authentication layer before the Sentry Admin Portal
• Configure Apache HTTPD with more restrictive access controls as an interim measure if patching cannot be performed immediately
• Disable the MICS Admin Portal if it is not required for operations until the patch can be applied

# Example: Restrict access to Sentry Admin Portal using iptables
# Only allow access from trusted management network (e.g., 10.0.0.0/24)
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8443 -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8443 -j DROP