CVE-2024-31621: Flowiseai Flowise RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-31621 Overview

A critical code injection vulnerability exists in FlowiseAI Flowise versions 1.6.2 and earlier that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted scripts targeting the api/v1 component. FlowiseAI Flowise is an open-source low-code tool for building customized LLM (Large Language Model) flows and AI applications. This vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations deploying Flowise for AI workflow automation.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution on affected Flowise instances, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and lateral movement within the network.

Affected Products

• FlowiseAI Flowise v.1.6.2 and earlier versions
• All deployments exposing the api/v1 endpoint to untrusted networks

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-04-29 - CVE-2024-31621 published to NVD
• 2025-05-27 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-31621

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as Code Injection (CWE-94), which allows attackers to introduce and execute malicious code in an application. The flaw resides in the api/v1 component of FlowiseAI Flowise, where insufficient input validation enables remote attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code on the server.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means it can be exploited remotely without physical access to the target system. While low-privilege authentication is required, the attack itself does not require user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in exposed deployments.

The existence of a public exploit on Exploit-DB #52001 significantly increases the risk profile of this vulnerability. Organizations running affected versions should treat this as an urgent security issue.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-31621 is improper input validation in the api/v1 endpoint. The application fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied input before processing, allowing malicious scripts to be interpreted and executed by the server. This is a classic code injection scenario where untrusted data is passed to an interpreter without proper validation or encoding.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, targeting the api/v1 API endpoint exposed by FlowiseAI Flowise installations. An attacker with low-level privileges can craft malicious payloads and submit them through API requests to the vulnerable endpoint.

The exploitation technique involves sending specially crafted scripts to the api/v1 component. When the server processes these malicious inputs without proper sanitization, the injected code is executed in the context of the Flowise application, potentially with the same privileges as the running service.

For detailed technical analysis and exploitation techniques, security researchers can reference the Exploit-DB entry documenting this vulnerability.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-31621

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual outbound network connections originating from the Flowise server process
• Unexpected child processes spawned by the Node.js application running Flowise
• Anomalous API requests to the api/v1 endpoint containing code-like patterns or shell commands
• Modified system files or new files created in unexpected locations on the server

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block code injection patterns in API requests
• Monitor API access logs for suspicious requests to the api/v1 endpoint, particularly those containing script-like content
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify anomalous process execution from the Flowise application
• Utilize network intrusion detection systems (IDS) to flag unusual traffic patterns associated with the Flowise server

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for all api/v1 endpoint requests and review logs regularly for anomalies
• Set up alerting for any unexpected command execution or network connections from the Flowise process
• Monitor system resource utilization for signs of cryptocurrency mining or other malicious activity
• Implement file integrity monitoring on critical system directories to detect unauthorized modifications

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-31621

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade FlowiseAI Flowise to the latest available version that addresses this vulnerability
• Restrict network access to the api/v1 endpoint using firewall rules to allow only trusted IP addresses
• Implement strong authentication and authorization controls for all API access
• Consider temporarily disabling external access to Flowise if an immediate upgrade is not possible

Patch Information

Organizations should upgrade to the latest version of FlowiseAI Flowise that contains security fixes for this vulnerability. Check the official FlowiseAI website for the latest release information and upgrade instructions. Due to the availability of public exploit code, patching should be treated as an urgent priority.

Workarounds

• Place the Flowise instance behind a reverse proxy with strict input validation rules
• Implement network segmentation to isolate Flowise servers from critical infrastructure
• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) configured to block common code injection patterns
• Restrict API access to authenticated users only and implement rate limiting to slow potential exploitation attempts
• Monitor and audit all API interactions until a patch can be applied

# Example: Network isolation using iptables to restrict access to Flowise
# Allow only specific trusted IP addresses to access the API endpoint
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3000 -s 192.168.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3000 -j DROP

# Example: Reverse proxy configuration (nginx) with basic filtering
# Add to nginx server block to restrict access
location /api/v1 {
    # Only allow specific methods
    limit_except GET POST {
        deny all;
    }
    # Add request size limits
    client_max_body_size 1m;
    proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
}