CVE-2024-44722 Overview
CVE-2024-44722 is a command injection vulnerability affecting Anolis SysAK (System Analyse Kit) version 2.0 and earlier. The flaw allows attackers to execute arbitrary operating system commands by appending shell metacharacters to user-supplied input. A proof-of-concept payload such as aaa;cat /etc/passwd demonstrates how command separators bypass input handling and reach the underlying shell.
The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-94] Improper Control of Generation of Code. SysAK is a Linux system diagnostic toolkit maintained by the Anolis OS community, used for performance analysis and troubleshooting. Successful exploitation leads to arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the SysAK process.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary shell commands on hosts running SysAK v2.0 or earlier, leading to full system compromise.
Affected Products
- Anolis SysAK v2.0
- Anolis SysAK versions prior to v2.0
- Linux systems with SysAK diagnostic toolkit installed
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-03-20 - CVE-2024-44722 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-04-14 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-44722
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in how SysAK processes user-supplied input before passing it to system shell functions. Input strings are concatenated into shell commands without sanitization of metacharacters such as ;, &, |, and backticks. An attacker submitting a payload like aaa;cat /etc/passwd causes the shell to interpret the semicolon as a command separator and execute the trailing command.
The issue is categorized as [CWE-94] Improper Control of Generation of Code, commonly referred to as code injection. SysAK runs diagnostic operations that often require elevated privileges, so injected commands typically execute in a high-privilege context. This expands the impact from data disclosure to complete host takeover.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of input validation and escaping before constructing shell command strings. SysAK accepts parameter values intended as identifiers or filenames and embeds them directly into commands executed by system()-style functions or shell wrappers. No allowlist, character filtering, or argument-vector execution model is applied.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-accessible where SysAK exposes input through management interfaces, scheduled tasks, or remote diagnostic invocations. Local attackers with the ability to supply parameters to SysAK commands can also trigger the flaw. Exploitation requires no authentication and no user interaction.
The vulnerability mechanism is straightforward: an attacker supplies a benign-looking value followed by a shell metacharacter and the desired command. The shell parses the combined string and executes the attacker-controlled portion. Public proof-of-concept material is available via the GitHub PoC for CVE-2024-44722.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-44722
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected child processes spawned by SysAK binaries, particularly shells (sh, bash) executing reconnaissance commands like cat /etc/passwd, id, or whoami
- Outbound network connections initiated from SysAK process trees to unknown hosts
- Log entries showing SysAK input parameters containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &&, or backticks
- Creation of new user accounts, SSH keys, or cron entries shortly after SysAK invocations
Detection Strategies
- Monitor process ancestry for SysAK spawning unexpected interpreters or system utilities outside its normal operational baseline
- Inspect command-line arguments passed to SysAK for shell metacharacters and chained commands
- Correlate SysAK execution events with subsequent file system writes to sensitive directories such as /etc, /root/.ssh, and /var/spool/cron
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable Linux audit framework (auditd) rules covering execve syscalls invoked by the SysAK user context
- Centralize host telemetry in a SIEM to baseline normal SysAK behavior and alert on deviations
- Track file integrity on the SysAK installation directory to identify tampering or persistence attempts
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-44722
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all hosts running Anolis SysAK v2.0 or earlier and inventory exposure paths
- Restrict SysAK execution to trusted administrators and remove network-accessible wrappers until a patch is applied
- Review historical command logs and audit records for evidence of prior exploitation attempts containing shell metacharacters
Patch Information
No official patch reference is published in the available CVE data. Administrators should monitor the Gitee Sysak Project Overview for upstream fixes and upgrade to the corrected release once available. Until a patched version is published, treat SysAK input surfaces as untrusted.
Workarounds
- Remove or disable SysAK on systems where it is not actively required for diagnostics
- Wrap SysAK invocations in a controlled launcher that enforces an allowlist of permitted argument characters and rejects shell metacharacters
- Run SysAK under a dedicated low-privilege account using sudo rules that constrain executable paths and arguments
- Apply host-based firewall rules to block remote access to any management interface that forwards parameters to SysAK
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
