CVE-2024-7575: Telerik UI for WPF RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-7575 Overview

CVE-2024-7575 is a critical command injection vulnerability affecting Progress Telerik UI for WPF versions prior to 2024 Q3 (2024.3.924). The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of hyperlink elements within the WPF UI components, allowing attackers to inject and execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. This flaw enables unauthenticated remote attackers to potentially achieve full system compromise through crafted hyperlink payloads.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit improper hyperlink handling to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the application, potentially leading to complete system compromise including data theft, ransomware deployment, and lateral movement within enterprise networks.

Affected Products

• Telerik UI for WPF versions prior to 2024 Q3 (2024.3.924)
• Applications built using vulnerable Telerik UI for WPF components
• Enterprise desktop applications leveraging Telerik hyperlink controls

Discovery Timeline

• September 25, 2024 - CVE-2024-7575 published to NVD
• October 3, 2024 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7575

Vulnerability Analysis

This command injection vulnerability (CWE-77) exists due to improper neutralization of special elements used in hyperlink processing within Telerik UI for WPF components. When the application processes hyperlink elements, it fails to adequately sanitize or validate the input before passing it to system command handlers. This allows malicious actors to craft specially formatted hyperlinks that, when processed by the vulnerable component, execute arbitrary operating system commands.

The vulnerability requires no authentication and can be exploited remotely over a network connection. An attacker can leverage this flaw to achieve complete compromise of the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. The impact is severe as successful exploitation grants the attacker the same privileges as the application processing the malicious hyperlink.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-7575 lies in insufficient input validation and improper neutralization of hyperlink elements within Telerik UI for WPF. The framework fails to properly sanitize user-controlled data embedded in hyperlink elements before processing them, allowing command injection sequences to bypass security controls. This inadequate input handling enables special characters and command sequences to be interpreted as executable instructions rather than literal text data.

Attack Vector

The attack exploits the network-accessible hyperlink processing functionality in Telerik UI for WPF applications. An attacker can deliver a malicious hyperlink through various vectors including:

1. Direct User Interaction: Embedding crafted hyperlinks in content viewed by the application
2. Data Injection: Injecting malicious hyperlink data into application data sources
3. Social Engineering: Tricking users into interacting with applications containing malicious hyperlink content

The vulnerability in hyperlink processing allows command injection sequences to be passed to the underlying operating system shell. When a vulnerable application processes the malicious hyperlink element, the injected commands execute with the application's privileges, potentially allowing attackers to download additional malware, exfiltrate data, or establish persistent access to the compromised system.

For detailed technical information on the vulnerability mechanism and exploitation, refer to the Telerik Command Injection Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7575

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected child processes spawned by WPF applications using Telerik UI components
• Anomalous command-line arguments or shell invocations originating from desktop applications
• Network connections to unknown external hosts from Telerik-based applications
• Suspicious hyperlink content containing shell metacharacters or command sequences in application logs

Detection Strategies

• Monitor process creation events for WPF applications spawning unexpected command interpreters (cmd.exe, powershell.exe)
• Implement application whitelisting to detect unauthorized process execution from Telerik-based applications
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify command injection behavior patterns
• Review application logs for hyperlink elements containing suspicious characters such as |, &, ;, or backticks

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable process auditing to capture parent-child process relationships for applications using Telerik UI for WPF
• Configure SIEM alerts for command-line process creation events originating from WPF application contexts
• Implement network monitoring to detect unusual outbound connections from desktop applications
• Establish baseline behavior for Telerik-based applications to identify anomalous command execution patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7575

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade all Telerik UI for WPF installations to version 2024 Q3 (2024.3.924) or later immediately
• Inventory all applications utilizing Telerik UI for WPF components across the enterprise
• Apply network segmentation to limit the impact of potentially compromised applications
• Monitor affected systems for indicators of compromise while patches are being deployed

Patch Information

Progress Software has released Telerik UI for WPF version 2024 Q3 (2024.3.924) which addresses this command injection vulnerability. Organizations should update to this version or later as soon as possible. The patch implements proper input validation and neutralization of hyperlink elements to prevent command injection attacks.

For detailed patch information and upgrade instructions, consult the Telerik Command Injection Advisory.

Workarounds

• Disable or restrict hyperlink functionality in affected Telerik UI for WPF applications where feasible
• Implement strict input validation at the application layer before passing data to Telerik components
• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) or content filtering to block malicious hyperlink payloads where applicable
• Run applications using Telerik UI for WPF with minimal privileges to limit the impact of successful exploitation

# Configuration example - Verify installed Telerik UI for WPF version
# Check NuGet packages in your WPF project
dotnet list package --include-transitive | findstr Telerik

# Update to patched version via NuGet Package Manager
Update-Package Telerik.UI.for.Wpf.NetCore -Version 2024.3.924