CVE-2024-51465: IBM App Connect Enterprise Container RCE

CVE-2024-51465 Overview

CVE-2024-51465 is a command injection vulnerability [CWE-78] affecting IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Container. The flaw allows a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system by sending a specially crafted request. IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Container is deployed on Red Hat OpenShift and integrates applications and data across hybrid cloud environments. Successful exploitation compromises the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the container workload.

Critical Impact
An authenticated remote attacker can execute arbitrary operating system commands on the container host, leading to full workload compromise and potential lateral movement within the OpenShift cluster.

Affected Products

IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Container versions 11.4, 11.5, and 11.6
IBM App Connect Enterprise Certified Container versions 12.0, 12.1, 12.2, and 12.3
Red Hat OpenShift deployments hosting the affected container

Discovery Timeline

2024-12-04 - CVE-2024-51465 published to the National Vulnerability Database
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-51465

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command. An authenticated user submits input that reaches an operating system command construction routine without proper sanitization. The container process then executes attacker-controlled commands with the privileges of the App Connect Enterprise runtime.

Because the attack originates over the network and requires only low privileges with no user interaction, an attacker with any valid credentials can weaponize the flaw. The impact extends beyond the vulnerable pod when the runtime holds service account tokens or mounted secrets that permit cluster API access.

IBM has not published detailed exploit mechanics, and no public proof-of-concept exploit is available at the time of writing. Refer to the IBM Support Page for vendor-specific technical guidance.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient input neutralization when the application constructs shell commands from user-supplied data. Special shell metacharacters are not filtered or escaped before the command string is passed to a system shell interpreter.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires prior authentication. An attacker submits a crafted request to an exposed application endpoint. The malicious payload is embedded in a request parameter that the backend concatenates into an OS command, which the container then executes.

No verified exploit code is publicly available. Describing the vulnerability mechanism further would require synthetic examples that IBM has not confirmed. Consult the IBM security bulletin for authoritative technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-51465

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by the App Connect Enterprise runtime, particularly /bin/sh, /bin/bash, curl, wget, or nc.
Outbound network connections from App Connect Enterprise pods to unfamiliar external IP addresses or command-and-control infrastructure.
Anomalous authenticated API requests containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &, backticks, or $(...) in parameter values.
Access to sensitive files inside the container such as /etc/passwd, service account tokens under /var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/, or mounted secrets.

Detection Strategies

Enable runtime process monitoring on OpenShift worker nodes to flag command execution originating from Java or integration runtime parent processes.
Ingest OpenShift audit logs and App Connect Enterprise application logs into a centralized SIEM and correlate suspicious request patterns with process execution events.
Deploy signature and behavioral rules that detect OS command injection payloads in HTTP requests targeting integration flows.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor authentication logs for compromised or brute-forced credentials targeting App Connect Enterprise interfaces.
Track egress traffic from integration pods and alert on connections to non-approved destinations.
Review Kubernetes audit events for unexpected service account activity following requests to App Connect Enterprise endpoints.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-51465

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the IBM security update referenced in the IBM Support Page to all affected App Connect Enterprise Certified Container versions.
Rotate credentials for any accounts that had access to the affected instances, including service accounts mounted into the pods.
Restrict network access to App Connect Enterprise administration and API endpoints to trusted networks only.
Audit recent authenticated requests and container process activity for signs of exploitation before patching.

Patch Information

IBM has released fixed versions for the affected 11.x and 12.x release streams. Consult the IBM security bulletin for the specific fix pack, operator version, and container image tags corresponding to your deployment. Update the operator subscription in OpenShift and roll out the updated integration server images to all namespaces running App Connect Enterprise.

Workarounds

Enforce least-privilege authentication and remove unnecessary user accounts from App Connect Enterprise if patching cannot occur immediately.
Apply Kubernetes NetworkPolicies to restrict ingress to App Connect Enterprise pods to authorized clients only.
Configure OpenShift SecurityContextConstraints to run the integration server with a non-root user and drop unnecessary Linux capabilities to limit post-exploitation impact.

bash

# Example: restrict ingress to App Connect Enterprise pods via NetworkPolicy
kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
apiVersion: networking.k8s.io/v1
kind: NetworkPolicy
metadata:
  name: ace-restrict-ingress
  namespace: ace-namespace
spec:
  podSelector:
    matchLabels:
      app.kubernetes.io/name: ibm-ace
  policyTypes:
    - Ingress
  ingress:
    - from:
        - namespaceSelector:
            matchLabels:
              access: ace-trusted
      ports:
        - protocol: TCP
          port: 7800
EOF