CVE-2024-4956: Sonatype Nexus Repository 3 Path Traversal

CVE-2024-4956 Overview

Path Traversal in Sonatype Nexus Repository 3 allows an unauthenticated attacker to read system files. Fixed in version 3.68.1.

Critical Impact
This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive system files, potentially exposing critical configuration and credential information.

Affected Products

Sonatype Nexus Repository 3.68.0 and earlier

Discovery Timeline

Not Available - Vulnerability discovered by Not Available
Not Available - Responsible disclosure to Not Available
Not Available - CVE CVE-2024-4956 assigned
Not Available - Not Available releases security patch
2024-05-16 - CVE CVE-2024-4956 published to NVD
2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-4956

Vulnerability Analysis

This path traversal vulnerability can be exploited by an unauthenticated attacker to read arbitrary files on the server. This could include sensitive configuration files such as /etc/passwd, which could compromise the system's security posture.

Root Cause

The vulnerability is due to improper input validation of user-supplied file paths, allowing traversal sequences (../) to access files outside the intended directory.

Attack Vector

Network-based exploitation with no authentication required, allowing remote attackers to access system files via crafted HTTP requests.

bash

# Example exploitation code (sanitized)
GET /repository/path-traversal/../../../../etc/passwd HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable-host

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-4956

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual access logs with ../ patterns
Unauthorized access to sensitive files (e.g., /etc/passwd)
Unexpected errors or log entries in Nexus Repository logs

Detection Strategies

Utilize web server access logs to monitor for malicious activity patterns indicating path traversal attempts, particularly requests containing .. sequences.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable and review verbose logging on the Nexus Repository to identify suspicious access patterns and unauthorized file accesses.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-4956

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the security patch for Nexus Repository version 3.68.1 immediately
Restrict network access to the Nexus Repository server to trusted IPs
Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block malicious input patterns

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been mitigated in Nexus Repository version 3.68.1 as per Sonatype's advisories.

Workarounds

Configure file permissions to restrict access to sensitive files and directories, reducing the potential impact of an exploitation.