CVE-2024-11005: Ivanti Connect Secure RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-11005 Overview

CVE-2024-11005 is a command injection vulnerability affecting Ivanti Connect Secure before version 22.7R2.1 and Ivanti Policy Secure before version 22.7R1.1. This vulnerability allows a remote authenticated attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

Critical Impact

Authenticated administrators can leverage this command injection flaw to achieve remote code execution on Ivanti VPN appliances, enabling full system takeover and potential lateral movement within enterprise networks.

Affected Products

• Ivanti Connect Secure versions prior to 22.7R2.1 (Not Applicable to 9.1Rx)
• Ivanti Policy Secure versions prior to 22.7R1.1 (Not Applicable to 9.1Rx)
• Ivanti Connect Secure versions 22.7, 22.7R1, 22.7R1.1, 22.7R1.2, 22.7R1.3, 22.7R1.4, 22.7R1.5, 22.7R2

Discovery Timeline

• November 12, 2024 - CVE-2024-11005 published to NVD
• January 17, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-11005

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), commonly known as OS command injection. The flaw exists within the administrative interface of both Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure appliances.

The vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker with administrative privileges to exploit, which limits the attack surface but does not diminish the severity once access is obtained. Administrators have legitimate access to sensitive configuration functions, and this vulnerability allows them to escape the intended boundaries of the administrative interface to execute arbitrary system commands.

Given that Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure are edge network devices commonly deployed as VPN gateways and access control systems, successful exploitation could provide attackers with a strategic foothold at the network perimeter.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-11005 is insufficient input validation and sanitization within the administrative interface. User-supplied input from an authenticated administrator is passed to an operating system command execution function without proper neutralization of special characters or command separators.

This allows an attacker to inject additional commands that will be executed with the privileges of the underlying application process, typically root or a similarly privileged system account on these appliance-based products.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires authenticated administrative access to the target appliance. An attacker must first obtain valid administrative credentials through credential theft, phishing, or other means before exploiting this vulnerability.

Once authenticated as an administrator, the attacker can craft malicious input containing command injection payloads. The vulnerability exists in functionality accessible through the administrative web interface, meaning the attack can be conducted remotely over HTTPS.

The exploitation flow involves injecting shell metacharacters (such as ;, |, &&, or backticks) followed by malicious commands into vulnerable input fields. These commands are then executed by the underlying system with elevated privileges.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-11005

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual administrative login activity, particularly from unexpected source IP addresses or at unusual times
• Unexpected child processes spawned by web server or administrative service processes
• Presence of web shells, reverse shells, or unauthorized scripts on the appliance
• Outbound network connections to unknown external hosts from the VPN appliance
• Modifications to system configuration files or scheduled tasks

Detection Strategies

• Monitor administrative authentication logs for signs of credential compromise or brute force attempts
• Implement behavioral analysis to detect anomalous command execution patterns on Ivanti appliances
• Deploy network detection rules to identify command injection payloads in HTTP/HTTPS traffic to administrative interfaces
• Enable and centralize logging from all Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure appliances for correlation analysis

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure SIEM alerts for multiple failed administrative login attempts followed by a successful login
• Monitor for process execution anomalies on Ivanti appliances that indicate post-exploitation activity
• Establish baseline administrative behavior patterns and alert on deviations
• Implement file integrity monitoring on critical system directories and configuration files

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-11005

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Ivanti Connect Secure to version 22.7R2.1 or later immediately
• Upgrade Ivanti Policy Secure to version 22.7R1.1 or later immediately
• Review administrative account access and audit all privileged accounts for unauthorized activity
• Implement multi-factor authentication for all administrative access to Ivanti appliances
• Restrict administrative interface access to trusted management networks only

Patch Information

Ivanti has released patched versions that address this command injection vulnerability:

• Ivanti Connect Secure: Version 22.7R2.1 and later
• Ivanti Policy Secure: Version 22.7R1.1 and later

Organizations should consult the Ivanti Security Advisory for complete upgrade instructions and additional details. Note that the 9.1Rx versions are not affected by this vulnerability.

Workarounds

• Restrict administrative interface access to specific IP addresses or network segments using firewall rules
• Implement network segmentation to isolate management interfaces from general network traffic
• Enable and monitor all administrative action logging to detect potential exploitation attempts
• Consider implementing a jump host or bastion server for all administrative access to critical infrastructure

# Example: Restrict administrative access using firewall rules
# Allow only trusted management subnet to access admin interface
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP

# Enable enhanced logging for administrative actions
# Consult Ivanti documentation for appliance-specific logging configuration