CVE-2024-6658: Progress LoadMaster RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-6658 Overview

CVE-2024-6658 is an Improper Input Validation vulnerability affecting Progress LoadMaster and related products that allows authenticated users to execute arbitrary operating system commands. This OS Command Injection vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input, enabling attackers with authenticated access to inject and execute malicious commands on the underlying operating system.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers with adjacent network access can achieve full system compromise through OS command injection, potentially leading to complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on affected LoadMaster appliances.

Affected Products

• Progress LoadMaster versions 7.2.55.0 to 7.2.60.0 (inclusive)
• Progress LoadMaster versions 7.2.49.0 to 7.2.54.11 (inclusive)
• Progress LoadMaster version 7.2.48.12 and all prior versions
• Progress Multi-Tenant Hypervisor version 7.1.35.11 and all prior versions
• Progress ECS all versions prior to and including 7.2.60.0

Discovery Timeline

• September 12, 2024 - CVE-2024-6658 published to NVD
• July 30, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-6658

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as an Improper Input Validation issue (CWE-20) that enables OS Command Injection. The flaw exists in Progress LoadMaster, a widely deployed application delivery controller and load balancer solution. When authenticated users submit specially crafted input through the management interface, the application fails to properly sanitize or validate the input before passing it to system shell commands.

The attack requires adjacent network access and high privileges (authenticated administrative user), but once these conditions are met, an attacker can achieve significant impact across all three security pillars: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The adjacent network requirement indicates the attack must originate from the same network segment, typically the management network.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation (CWE-20) within the LoadMaster management interface. User-controlled input is passed to operating system shell commands without adequate sanitization, allowing command metacharacters or shell escape sequences to be interpreted by the underlying OS. This failure to properly validate and sanitize input before use in system calls creates the command injection opportunity.

Attack Vector

The attack vector requires an authenticated user with administrative privileges on the LoadMaster management interface operating from an adjacent network. The attacker would need to:

1. Obtain valid administrative credentials for the LoadMaster management interface
2. Access the management interface from the same network segment (adjacent network)
3. Submit malicious input containing OS command injection payloads through vulnerable input fields
4. The injected commands execute with the privileges of the LoadMaster service, potentially providing full system access

The vulnerability affects the administrative functions where user input is processed without proper sanitization before being passed to system shell commands. Technical details regarding specific vulnerable parameters can be found in the Kemp Technologies Support Article.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-6658

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual command execution or process spawning from the LoadMaster management service
• Unexpected outbound network connections from the LoadMaster appliance
• Anomalous administrative login patterns or access from unusual network segments
• Modification of system files or configuration outside normal administrative operations
• Creation of unauthorized user accounts or privilege escalation attempts

Detection Strategies

• Monitor LoadMaster management interface logs for unusual input patterns containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &&, ||, backticks, or $() constructs
• Implement network segmentation monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to the management network
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious process execution chains
• Configure SIEM rules to alert on command injection patterns in web application logs

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive audit logging on all LoadMaster appliances
• Monitor authentication events for administrative interfaces, particularly from adjacent network segments
• Implement real-time alerting for any shell command execution anomalies on LoadMaster systems
• Review administrative access logs regularly for unauthorized or suspicious activity patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-6658

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all Progress LoadMaster, Multi-Tenant Hypervisor, and ECS deployments within your environment
• Review and restrict administrative access to only necessary personnel
• Ensure management interfaces are accessible only from trusted, isolated network segments
• Apply available security patches immediately following vendor guidance
• Audit recent administrative activity for potential exploitation indicators

Patch Information

Progress has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Affected organizations should upgrade to patched versions as specified in the vendor advisory. Consult the Kemp Technologies Support Article for specific version information and upgrade instructions.

For LoadMaster deployments:

• Upgrade from affected versions 7.2.55.0 through 7.2.60.0
• Upgrade from affected versions 7.2.49.0 through 7.2.54.11
• Upgrade from version 7.2.48.12 and earlier

For Multi-Tenant Hypervisor:

• Upgrade from version 7.1.35.11 and earlier

For ECS:

• Upgrade from versions prior to and including 7.2.60.0

Workarounds

• Implement strict network segmentation to limit access to management interfaces from trusted networks only
• Enforce strong authentication policies and multi-factor authentication for administrative access
• Apply principle of least privilege for all LoadMaster administrative accounts
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block command injection attempts
• Monitor and log all administrative actions for forensic analysis capabilities

# Network segmentation example - restrict management interface access
# Implement firewall rules to limit management access to specific trusted subnets
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP

# Verify current LoadMaster version to determine patch requirements
# Access LoadMaster UI: System Configuration > System Administration > Update Software