CVE-2024-10443: Synology Photos RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-10443 Overview

CVE-2024-10443 is a critical OS command injection vulnerability affecting the Task Manager component in Synology BeePhotos and Synology Photos applications. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems without requiring authentication or user interaction. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in OS commands (CWE-78, CWE-77), enabling attackers to inject malicious commands through unspecified vectors.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote code execution on Synology NAS devices and BeeStation systems, potentially compromising all stored data and enabling lateral movement within networks.

Affected Products

• Synology BeePhotos before 1.0.2-10026 (on BeeStation OS 1.0)
• Synology BeePhotos before 1.1.0-10053 (on BeeStation OS 1.1)
• Synology Photos before 1.6.2-0720 (on DiskStation Manager 7.2)
• Synology Photos before 1.7.0-0795 (on DiskStation Manager 7.2.2)

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-11-15 - CVE-2024-10443 published to NVD
• 2025-09-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-10443

Vulnerability Analysis

This OS command injection vulnerability resides in the Task Manager component of Synology's photo management applications. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject and execute arbitrary operating system commands on the underlying Synology NAS or BeeStation device. Because this is a network-accessible vulnerability that requires no privileges or user interaction, it represents a severe risk to any exposed Synology device running vulnerable versions of BeePhotos or Photos applications.

NAS devices are particularly high-value targets as they typically store significant amounts of sensitive data including personal photos, documents, and backups. Successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, ransomware deployment, or use of the compromised device as a pivot point for further network attacks.

Root Cause

The vulnerability is caused by improper neutralization of special elements in user-controllable input before it is passed to OS command execution functions. The Task Manager component fails to properly sanitize or validate input, allowing attackers to break out of the intended command context and inject arbitrary commands. This is classified under CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command) and CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command).

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted over the network against exposed Synology devices. No authentication is required, and no user interaction is needed for successful exploitation. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted requests to the Task Manager component, injecting OS commands that will be executed with the privileges of the application process. The specific vectors for exploitation have not been publicly disclosed by Synology, which helps reduce the immediate risk of widespread exploitation while users patch their systems.

Given the network-based attack vector and lack of authentication requirements, any Synology NAS or BeeStation device with the affected applications installed and accessible over the network is potentially vulnerable.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-10443

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual network connections originating from Synology devices to unknown external IP addresses
• Unexpected processes or services running on the NAS with elevated privileges
• Anomalous entries in system logs related to the Task Manager component or BeePhotos/Photos applications
• Unauthorized file modifications or new files appearing in system directories
• Unexplained CPU or memory usage spikes on the Synology device

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Synology device logs for unusual Task Manager activity or error messages indicating command injection attempts
• Implement network intrusion detection rules to identify suspicious requests targeting Synology photo applications
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring NAS device behavior
• Review web server access logs for malformed or suspicious requests to BeePhotos or Photos endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging on Synology DSM and BeeStation OS systems
• Configure SIEM alerts for command injection patterns targeting Synology devices
• Implement network segmentation to isolate NAS devices and monitor cross-segment traffic
• Regularly audit running processes and network connections on Synology devices

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-10443

Immediate Actions Required

• Update Synology BeePhotos to version 1.0.2-10026 or later (for BeeStation OS 1.0) or 1.1.0-10053 or later (for BeeStation OS 1.1)
• Update Synology Photos to version 1.6.2-0720 or later (for DSM 7.2) or 1.7.0-0795 or later (for DSM 7.2.2)
• Restrict network access to Synology devices by disabling direct internet exposure
• Review and limit user access permissions on affected systems

Patch Information

Synology has released security patches addressing this vulnerability. Users should update their applications through the Synology Package Center. For detailed patch information, refer to the official security advisories:

• Synology Security Advisory SA-24-18
• Synology Security Advisory SA-24-19

Workarounds

• Disable or uninstall BeePhotos or Photos applications if not immediately needed
• Block external access to Synology devices using firewall rules
• Use VPN for remote access instead of exposing Synology services directly to the internet
• Enable Synology's built-in firewall and restrict access to trusted IP addresses only

# Example: Restrict access to Synology device via iptables on network perimeter
# Allow only trusted internal network ranges
iptables -A INPUT -s 192.168.1.0/24 -d <synology_ip> -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -d <synology_ip> -p tcp --dport 5000 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -d <synology_ip> -p tcp --dport 5001 -j DROP