CVE-2024-55964: Appsmith PostgreSQL RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-55964 Overview

CVE-2024-55964 is a critical remote command execution vulnerability discovered in Appsmith, an open-source low-code platform for building internal tools. The vulnerability stems from an incorrectly configured PostgreSQL instance within the Appsmith Docker image, which allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands inside the Appsmith Docker container.

An attacker who can access Appsmith and authenticate to the platform can exploit this vulnerability by creating a malicious datasource, crafting a query against that datasource, and executing the query to achieve remote command execution within the container environment.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability enables remote command execution within the Appsmith Docker container, potentially allowing attackers to compromise the application environment, access sensitive data, pivot to other systems, or establish persistence within the containerized infrastructure.

Affected Products

• Appsmith versions before 1.52
• Appsmith Docker deployments with default PostgreSQL configuration
• Self-hosted Appsmith instances running vulnerable versions

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-03-26 - CVE-2024-55964 published to NVD
• 2025-04-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-55964

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code / Code Injection). The core issue lies in the misconfiguration of the PostgreSQL instance bundled within the Appsmith Docker image. PostgreSQL, when improperly secured, can be leveraged to execute system commands through various built-in functions and extensions.

The attack requires the adversary to have authenticated access to the Appsmith platform with sufficient privileges to create datasources and execute queries. Once these preconditions are met, the attacker can craft malicious SQL queries that escape the database context and execute commands at the operating system level within the Docker container.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-55964 is an insecure default configuration of the PostgreSQL database instance packaged within the Appsmith Docker image. This misconfiguration allows database queries to be leveraged for command execution, violating the principle of least privilege. The PostgreSQL instance likely had dangerous extensions enabled or lacked proper restrictions on function execution that could interact with the underlying operating system.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based and requires authentication. The exploitation chain involves:

1. Authentication: The attacker must first gain access to a valid Appsmith account, either through legitimate credentials, credential theft, or exploiting weak authentication mechanisms
2. Datasource Creation: Using the authenticated session, the attacker creates a new datasource pointing to the vulnerable internal PostgreSQL instance
3. Query Crafting: A malicious query is constructed that leverages PostgreSQL features to execute operating system commands
4. Command Execution: Upon query execution, arbitrary commands run within the context of the Appsmith Docker container

The vulnerability exploits PostgreSQL's ability to interact with the host system through mechanisms such as COPY TO PROGRAM, user-defined functions with untrusted languages, or other command execution primitives when the database is not properly hardened.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-55964

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual datasource creation activity targeting internal PostgreSQL instances
• Anomalous query patterns containing PostgreSQL command execution functions such as COPY TO PROGRAM or lo_export
• Unexpected processes spawning within the Appsmith Docker container
• Suspicious outbound network connections from the container environment
• Log entries showing creation of datasources pointing to localhost or 127.0.0.1 PostgreSQL

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Appsmith audit logs for datasource creation events, particularly those targeting internal database endpoints
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect command execution attempts through PostgreSQL
• Deploy container runtime security to identify anomalous process execution within Appsmith containers
• Review network traffic for unusual outbound connections originating from Appsmith infrastructure

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive audit logging within Appsmith to track datasource and query activity
• Configure PostgreSQL logging to capture all query execution attempts with statement logging
• Implement container-level process monitoring using SentinelOne Singularity for Cloud to detect suspicious command execution
• Set up alerts for any COPY TO PROGRAM or similar command execution patterns in database logs

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-55964

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Appsmith to version 1.52 or later immediately to remediate this vulnerability
• Audit all existing datasources within Appsmith deployments for suspicious or unauthorized configurations
• Review user accounts and permissions to ensure principle of least privilege is enforced
• Restrict network access to Appsmith instances to trusted users and networks only
• Consider temporarily disabling datasource creation capabilities until the patch is applied

Patch Information

Appsmith has addressed this vulnerability in version 1.52 and later releases. Organizations should immediately update their Appsmith deployments to the patched version. For detailed information about the security fix, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-m95x-4w54-gc83.

Workarounds

• Implement network segmentation to restrict access to Appsmith instances from untrusted networks
• Apply strict Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to limit which users can create datasources and execute queries
• Harden the PostgreSQL configuration by disabling dangerous extensions and restricting function execution privileges
• Deploy container security controls to prevent command execution within the Appsmith container
• Monitor and restrict the Appsmith container's ability to spawn child processes or make outbound network connections

# Example: Restrict PostgreSQL command execution by disabling COPY TO PROGRAM
# Add to postgresql.conf or run as superuser
# Note: This is a mitigation example - upgrading to 1.52+ is the recommended fix

# Disable untrusted procedural languages
ALTER EXTENSION plpythonu DROP;
ALTER EXTENSION plperlu DROP;

# Revoke dangerous permissions from application database user
REVOKE EXECUTE ON FUNCTION pg_read_file FROM appsmith_user;
REVOKE EXECUTE ON FUNCTION pg_write_file FROM appsmith_user;