CVE-2024-36132: Ivanti EPMM Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2024-36132 Overview

CVE-2024-36132 is an authentication bypass vulnerability affecting Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) versions prior to 12.1.0.1. The vulnerability stems from insufficient verification of authentication controls, allowing remote attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and access sensitive resources without proper credentials.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can bypass authentication controls to access sensitive resources managed by Ivanti EPMM, potentially exposing enterprise mobile device management data, user information, and configuration settings.

Affected Products

• Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) versions prior to 12.1.0.1

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-08-07 - CVE-2024-36132 published to NVD
• 2025-03-19 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-36132

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), which encompasses scenarios where a system fails to properly verify the identity of an actor claiming a specific identity. In the context of Ivanti EPMM, the authentication verification mechanism does not adequately validate authentication controls, creating a pathway for unauthorized access.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means attackers can exploit it remotely without requiring any prior authentication or user interaction. Successful exploitation results in unauthorized access to confidential information managed by the EPMM platform, which typically includes sensitive enterprise mobile device data, user credentials, and organizational configuration details.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-36132 lies in the insufficient verification of authentication controls within the EPMM application. The authentication subsystem fails to properly validate certain authentication requests, allowing attackers to circumvent security checks that would normally prevent unauthorized access. This improper authentication implementation creates a critical security gap in the access control mechanism.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring no privileges or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely by sending specially crafted requests to the EPMM server that bypass the authentication verification process. The attack does not require any prior knowledge of valid credentials or authenticated sessions.

The exploitation flow typically involves:

1. Identifying a vulnerable EPMM instance accessible over the network
2. Crafting requests that exploit the insufficient authentication verification
3. Bypassing authentication controls to gain unauthorized access
4. Accessing sensitive resources that should be protected by authentication

For technical details on the vulnerability mechanism, refer to the Ivanti Security Advisory July 2024.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-36132

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or unauthorized access attempts to EPMM administrative interfaces from unknown IP addresses
• Authentication logs showing successful access without corresponding valid credential submissions
• Unexpected access to sensitive EPMM resources or configuration data
• Anomalous patterns in API requests to the EPMM server

Detection Strategies

• Monitor EPMM server logs for authentication anomalies and access attempts that bypass normal authentication flows
• Implement network intrusion detection rules to identify suspicious traffic patterns targeting EPMM endpoints
• Deploy application-layer monitoring to detect unauthorized resource access attempts
• Review access logs for patterns indicating authentication bypass attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging on EPMM servers and ensure logs are forwarded to a centralized SIEM solution
• Configure alerts for failed authentication attempts followed by successful access to protected resources
• Monitor for unusual data access patterns or bulk data retrieval from the EPMM platform
• Implement network traffic analysis to detect anomalous communication with EPMM servers

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-36132

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile to version 12.1.0.1 or later immediately
• Restrict network access to EPMM servers to trusted IP ranges and networks
• Review access logs for evidence of prior exploitation attempts
• Implement additional network segmentation to protect EPMM infrastructure

Patch Information

Ivanti has released a security update addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should upgrade to EPMM version 12.1.0.1 or later. Detailed patch information and upgrade instructions are available in the Ivanti Security Advisory July 2024.

Workarounds

• Implement network-level access controls to restrict access to EPMM servers to authorized networks only
• Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) in front of EPMM to filter malicious requests
• Enable additional authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication where supported
• Monitor all access to EPMM servers and investigate any suspicious activity immediately

# Network access restriction example (firewall rule)
# Restrict EPMM server access to trusted management networks only
# Replace with your organization's trusted IP ranges
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP