CVE-2024-49803 Overview
CVE-2024-49803 is a command injection vulnerability affecting IBM Security Verify Access Appliance versions 10.0.0 through 10.0.8. An authenticated remote attacker can execute arbitrary operating system commands by sending a specially crafted request to the appliance. The flaw is classified under [CWE-78], improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command. IBM Security Verify Access is deployed as an identity and access management gateway, so successful exploitation exposes authentication infrastructure to full compromise.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary commands on the underlying appliance, leading to full compromise of the identity gateway and any secrets, tokens, or session data it processes.
Affected Products
- IBM Security Verify Access Appliance 10.0.0
- IBM Security Verify Access Appliance versions 10.0.1 through 10.0.7
- IBM Security Verify Access Appliance 10.0.8
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-11-29 - CVE-2024-49803 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-49803
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in a request-handling path within the IBM Security Verify Access Appliance management interface. User-controlled input from an authenticated session reaches an operating system command execution context without proper neutralization of shell metacharacters. An attacker with valid low-privilege credentials can inject additional commands that the appliance executes with the privileges of the service process.
Because IBM Security Verify Access mediates authentication for downstream applications, code execution on the appliance grants attackers access to session tokens, federation keys, and connected identity stores. The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the appliance are all directly impacted.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements passed into an OS command [CWE-78]. Input received from an authenticated request is concatenated into a command string rather than passed as sanitized arguments. Shell metacharacters such as ;, |, and backticks are interpreted by the underlying shell instead of being treated as literal data.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the appliance management interface and valid authenticated credentials. The attacker crafts a request containing shell metacharacters within a vulnerable parameter. The appliance processes the request, invokes the underlying OS command, and executes the injected payload. No user interaction is required beyond the initial authenticated session. Refer to the IBM Support Article for vendor-provided technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-49803
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected child processes spawned by IBM Security Verify Access service accounts, particularly shells such as sh, bash, or utilities like curl, wget, and nc.
- Anomalous outbound network connections originating from the appliance to attacker-controlled infrastructure.
- Authenticated management requests containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &, backticks, or $(...) in unexpected parameters.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect appliance audit logs for authenticated requests to management endpoints that contain command separators or encoded shell syntax.
- Correlate authentication events with process-execution telemetry on the appliance to identify command-injection chains.
- Deploy signatures on network security tooling to flag HTTP requests containing suspicious shell characters targeting IBM Security Verify Access URIs.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose audit logging on the IBM Security Verify Access management interface and forward events to a centralized SIEM.
- Monitor for privilege changes, new local accounts, or modifications to appliance configuration files following authenticated sessions.
- Alert on any egress traffic from appliance interfaces that does not match documented integration destinations.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-49803
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the fixed version referenced in the IBM Support Article as soon as change control permits.
- Restrict network access to the management interface to trusted administrative subnets only.
- Rotate credentials for any account with access to the appliance and audit recent authenticated sessions.
Patch Information
IBM has published remediation guidance for CVE-2024-49803 covering IBM Security Verify Access Appliance 10.0.0 through 10.0.8. Administrators should consult the IBM Support Article for the fixed release and upgrade instructions applicable to their deployment.
Workarounds
- Enforce multi-factor authentication for all administrative accounts to reduce the risk of credential compromise leading to exploitation.
- Place the appliance behind a management-plane firewall or jump host so only vetted administrators can reach vulnerable endpoints.
- Review and reduce the number of accounts with management privileges on the appliance until patching is complete.
# Configuration example: restrict management interface access with iptables
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.10.20.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
