CVE-2024-7580: ALR-F800 Firmware RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-7580 Overview

CVE-2024-7580 is an operating system command injection vulnerability in the Alien Technology ALR-F800 RFID reader running firmware versions up to 19.10.24.00. The flaw resides in the /admin/system.html endpoint, where the uploadedFile parameter is passed to an underlying shell without sanitization. An authenticated remote attacker can append shell metacharacters such as ;whoami to execute arbitrary commands on the device. The vulnerability is classified as [CWE-78] (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command). Public exploit details have been disclosed, and the vendor did not respond to disclosure attempts.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers with low-privileged access can execute arbitrary OS commands on affected ALR-F800 RFID readers, leading to full device compromise.

Affected Products

• Alien Technology ALR-F800 (hardware)
• Alien Technology ALR-F800 firmware versions up to 19.10.24.00
• Deployments exposing the /admin/system.html administrative interface

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-08-07 - CVE-2024-7580 published to NVD
• 2024-08-07 - Last updated in NVD database
• Vendor contact - The vendor was contacted prior to disclosure but did not respond

Technical Details for CVE-2024-7580

Vulnerability Analysis

The ALR-F800 administrative web interface exposes a system management page at /admin/system.html. This page accepts a parameter named uploadedFile that is later incorporated into a shell command executed by the underlying operating system. Because the input is not validated or escaped, an attacker can inject shell metacharacters to break out of the intended command context. The disclosed proof of concept uses the payload ;whoami, which terminates the original command and executes the whoami binary, returning the executing user. The flaw maps to [CWE-78], a long-standing class of bugs in embedded web management consoles.

Root Cause

The root cause is unsafe concatenation of attacker-controlled input into a shell command string. The uploadedFile parameter from the HTTP request reaches a function that invokes a system shell, typically through a call such as system() or popen() in the device's CGI handler. Without an allowlist or quoting routine, characters like ;, &, |, and backticks are interpreted by the shell. This allows arbitrary command chaining beyond the function's intended file-handling purpose.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access to the device's HTTP administrative interface and a low-privileged authenticated session, as indicated by the PR:L component of the CVSS 4.0 vector. The attacker submits a crafted request to /admin/system.html with a malicious uploadedFile value containing shell metacharacters. The injected commands execute in the context of the web server process, which on embedded RFID readers commonly runs with elevated privileges. Successful exploitation can lead to credential theft, persistence, lateral movement into RFID-controlled physical access systems, or use of the device as a pivot host.

No verified public exploit code is referenced here; technical write-up details are available in the GitHub disclosure by Push3AX and the VulDB entry #273860.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-7580

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to /admin/system.html containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &, $(, or backticks in the uploadedFile parameter
• Unexpected child processes spawned by the ALR-F800 web server, including sh, whoami, id, wget, curl, or nc
• Outbound connections from the RFID reader to unfamiliar IP addresses, particularly on non-standard ports
• New or modified files in writable directories on the device, indicating attacker-staged tooling

Detection Strategies

• Inspect web server and reverse proxy logs for POST or GET requests to /admin/system.html with non-alphanumeric content in uploadedFile
• Deploy network intrusion detection signatures that match shell metacharacters within HTTP parameters destined for ALR-F800 management interfaces
• Correlate administrative authentications with subsequent outbound network activity from the reader

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward HTTP access logs from ALR-F800 devices and any fronting reverse proxies to a central log platform for retention and search
• Baseline normal administrative traffic patterns and alert on parameter values exceeding expected length or character sets
• Monitor DNS and netflow telemetry from the network segment hosting RFID readers to detect command-and-control beaconing

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-7580

Immediate Actions Required

• Remove the ALR-F800 administrative interface from any network reachable by untrusted users; restrict access to a dedicated management VLAN
• Rotate all administrative credentials on affected devices, since the flaw requires authentication and credential compromise increases risk
• Audit affected devices for evidence of prior exploitation, including unfamiliar processes, cron entries, and modified web files
• Inventory all Alien Technology ALR-F800 deployments and confirm firmware versions against the affected range up to 19.10.24.00

Patch Information

No vendor patch has been published at the time of NVD disclosure. According to the NVD entry, the vendor was contacted but did not respond. Organizations should track vendor advisories at Alien Technology and apply firmware updates immediately when they become available. Until a fix is released, network-level controls are the primary defense.

Workarounds

• Place ALR-F800 devices behind a reverse proxy or web application firewall that strips or rejects shell metacharacters in the uploadedFile parameter
• Enforce IP allowlisting on the management interface so that only trusted administrative workstations can reach /admin/system.html
• Disable the administrative web interface entirely when not in active use, restoring it only for scheduled maintenance windows
• Segment RFID readers from production networks and physical access control systems to limit blast radius of a compromised device

# Example iptables rule restricting admin interface to a trusted management host
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s 10.10.10.5 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.10.10.5 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP