CVE-2024-39402: Adobe Commerce RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-39402 Overview

CVE-2024-39402 is an OS Command Injection vulnerability affecting Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in operating system commands [CWE-78]. An authenticated administrative attacker can exploit this weakness to achieve arbitrary code execution on the underlying host.

Adobe published the advisory in APSB24-61 on August 14, 2024. Exploitation requires high privileges and user interaction, and the scope is changed, meaning impact extends beyond the vulnerable component. Affected releases include Adobe Commerce 2.4.7-p1, 2.4.6-p6, 2.4.5-p8, 2.4.4-p9, and all earlier versions in these branches.

Critical Impact
An authenticated admin attacker can execute arbitrary OS commands on the Adobe Commerce host, compromising storefront integrity, customer data, and downstream systems.

Affected Products

Adobe Commerce 2.4.7-p1 and earlier
Adobe Commerce 2.4.6-p6, 2.4.5-p8, 2.4.4-p9 and earlier patch releases
Magento Open Source across matching 2.4.4 through 2.4.7 branches

Discovery Timeline

2024-08-14 - CVE-2024-39402 published to NVD
2024-08-14 - Adobe releases security bulletin APSB24-61
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-39402

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2024-39402 is classified as OS Command Injection [CWE-78]. The vulnerable code path passes attacker-influenced input into a shell or process execution primitive without sufficient sanitization or argument separation. As a result, shell metacharacters embedded in the input alter the intended command and execute attacker-supplied operating system commands.

The issue is reachable over the network via the Adobe Commerce administrative interface. Exploitation requires an authenticated admin session and a user interaction step, such as clicking a crafted link or submitting a prepared form. Because the vulnerability scope is changed, successful exploitation can affect components beyond the immediate PHP process, including web server workers, cron tasks, and connected services.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or incomplete neutralization of shell metacharacters before invoking an OS-level command. When admin-controlled parameters are concatenated into a command string, characters such as ;, |, &, `, and $() are interpreted by the shell instead of being treated as literal data. Adobe has not disclosed the specific component or function affected in the public advisory.

Attack Vector

The attack path requires an authenticated administrative account and a user interaction trigger. An attacker who has phished, session-hijacked, or otherwise obtained admin credentials can submit crafted input to the vulnerable admin function. The injected commands run in the context of the web application process, typically www-data or an equivalent service account, enabling code execution, credential theft, and lateral movement.

No public code example is available. Refer to the Adobe Magento Security Update APSB24-61 for vendor-provided technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-39402

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by the PHP-FPM or web server process, particularly sh, bash, curl, wget, or python
New or modified files under pub/, var/, or app/etc/ on the Magento installation, including PHP webshells
Outbound network connections from the Commerce host to unfamiliar IP addresses or domains shortly after admin sessions
Admin login activity from anomalous geolocations or user agents preceding suspicious system activity

Detection Strategies

Alert on shell interpreter processes launched as children of the web server or PHP worker on Adobe Commerce hosts
Correlate admin panel HTTP requests containing shell metacharacters (;, |, &&, `, $()) with subsequent process creation events
Baseline expected process trees for Commerce nodes and flag deviations for review

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose audit logging on the Adobe Commerce admin interface, including parameter values where privacy allows
Forward web server, PHP, and OS process telemetry to a centralized analytics platform for correlation
Monitor changes to app/etc/env.php, cron entries, and any files under the web root for integrity violations

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-39402

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source to the fixed releases identified in APSB24-61 as soon as a maintenance window allows
Rotate credentials for all administrative accounts and invalidate active admin sessions after patching
Restrict access to the /admin interface using IP allowlists, VPN, or reverse proxy authentication
Audit administrative accounts and remove unused or over-privileged users

Patch Information

Adobe published fixed versions in security bulletin APSB24-61 on August 14, 2024. Administrators should apply the vendor-supplied patches for the 2.4.4, 2.4.5, 2.4.6, and 2.4.7 branches. Confirm the deployed version with bin/magento --version after patching.

Workarounds

Enforce multi-factor authentication on all Adobe Commerce admin accounts to reduce the risk of credential-based exploitation
Place the admin URL behind a non-default path and network access controls until patches are applied
Apply strict Content Security Policy and same-site cookie settings to reduce the viability of the required user interaction step

bash

# Verify installed Adobe Commerce version after applying APSB24-61
php bin/magento --version

# Restrict admin panel access at the web server layer (nginx example)
location ~* ^/admin {
    allow 203.0.113.0/24;   # corporate egress
    deny  all;
    try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}