CVE-2024-53412: NietThijmen ShoppingCart RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-53412 Overview

CVE-2024-53412 is a command injection vulnerability affecting the connect function in NietThijmen ShoppingCart version 0.0.2. This security flaw allows an attacker to execute arbitrary shell commands and achieve remote code execution by injecting malicious payloads into the Port field. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation (CWE-77), enabling attackers to break out of the intended command context and execute system-level commands.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation enables attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands on the target system, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or lateral movement within the network.

Affected Products

• NietThijmen ShoppingCart 0.0.2

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-15 - CVE-2024-53412 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-53412

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the connect function of the NietThijmen ShoppingCart application. The function accepts user-supplied input through the Port field without proper sanitization or validation. When this input is passed to shell command execution functions, an attacker can inject shell metacharacters and additional commands that will be executed with the privileges of the application.

Command injection vulnerabilities of this type typically occur when applications construct shell commands using string concatenation with user-controlled data. Without proper escaping or parameterization, special characters such as semicolons (;), pipes (|), or command substitution syntax ($(...)) can be used to terminate the intended command and append malicious instructions.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and improper handling of user-supplied data in the connect function. The Port field parameter is directly incorporated into shell command execution without sanitization, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary commands. This represents a classic command injection pattern where untrusted input is passed to system shell functions without proper escaping or validation.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the vulnerable application. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by providing a crafted payload in the Port field that contains shell metacharacters followed by malicious commands. When the connect function processes this input, the injected commands are executed by the underlying shell with the same privileges as the application process.

The vulnerability mechanism involves the Port field being concatenated into a shell command string. For detailed technical analysis and proof-of-concept information, see the GitHub vulnerability research documentation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-53412

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual process spawning from the ShoppingCart application, particularly shell processes (/bin/sh, /bin/bash, cmd.exe)
• Network connections initiated from the application to unexpected external destinations
• Unexpected file system modifications or new files created by the application process
• Log entries showing malformed or suspicious Port field values containing shell metacharacters

Detection Strategies

• Monitor application logs for Port field values containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &, $(), or backticks
• Implement application-layer monitoring to detect unusual command patterns in the connect function calls
• Deploy endpoint detection rules to alert on child process spawning from the ShoppingCart application
• Review system audit logs for unexpected command execution traced back to the vulnerable application

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for the ShoppingCart application to capture all input values
• Configure security monitoring tools to alert on command injection patterns in application inputs
• Monitor for unauthorized network connections or data exfiltration attempts following application access
• Implement file integrity monitoring on critical system files that could be targets of post-exploitation activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-53412

Immediate Actions Required

• Remove or disable NietThijmen ShoppingCart 0.0.2 from production environments until a patched version is available
• If the application must remain in use, implement strict network segmentation to limit the impact of potential compromise
• Review logs for any signs of exploitation and conduct incident response if suspicious activity is detected
• Consider implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or input filtering proxy to block malicious payloads

Patch Information

No official vendor patch has been identified at this time. Users should monitor the GitHub ShoppingCart repository for updates and security fixes. Until a patch is available, the recommended course of action is to discontinue use of the affected version.

Workarounds

• Implement strict input validation on the Port field to accept only numeric values within the valid port range (1-65535)
• Use parameterized command execution methods instead of shell string concatenation where possible
• Run the application with minimal privileges to reduce the impact of successful exploitation
• Deploy network-level controls to restrict outbound connections from the application server

# Example input validation (implement in application code)
# Validate Port field accepts only numeric values
# Reject any input containing shell metacharacters: ; | & $ ` ( ) { } [ ] < > \n
# Ensure Port value is within valid range: 1-65535