CVE-2024-31879 - Critical Vulnerability in IBM i 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4 Allowing Remote Code Execution and Denial of Service

It has come to the attention of the cybersecurity community that a dangerous vulnerability has been discovered in IBM i 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4. This vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-31879, allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the system, potentially leading to denial of service (DoS) of network ports. The issue arises from the deserialization of untrusted data.

IBM has assigned this vulnerability an X-Force ID of 287539. To help mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability, we will walk through the details of the exploit and provide links to the original references.

Exploit Details

When a remote attacker sends a crafted payload with untrusted data to an unprotected system running IBM i 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4, the affected system may deserialize this data without properly validating it. Consequently, this could lead to arbitrary code execution on the server, potentially causing a denial of service for network ports, impacting system availability and accessibility for users.

This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote attacker without any form of authentication. This makes it even more critical as attackers can target vulnerable systems even if they do not possess any valid credentials.

Code Snippet

To better understand the deserialization of untrusted data, let us take a look at a simple code snippet that demonstrates the process of deserializing data in Java:

import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.ObjectInputStream;

public class DeserializeExample {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
    try {
      FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream("file.ser");
      ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream(fis);

      // Deserialize untrustedData from the file
      Object untrustedData = ois.readObject();

      // Cast the untrustedData object to its original data type
      MyClass obj = (MyClass) untrustedData;

      ois.close();
      fis.close();
    } catch (Exception e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
    }
  }
}

In this code snippet, the process of deserializing untrusted data is illustrated. Without proper validation mechanisms in place, arbitrary code could be included in the serialized data, leading to its execution during the deserialization process.

Original References

1. Original CVE Entry - Find information about the CVE, as well as the original report from the CVE team.
2. IBM X-Force Exchange - Read the security bulletin for IBM X-Force ID 287539, which includes details on affected products and versions.

Mitigations and Recommendations

IBM has released patches and security fixes to address this vulnerability. System administrators running affected IBM i versions should immediately apply these security fixes to protect their systems:

Implement proper input validation while deserializing data to discard any malicious payloads.

- Regularly update systems and apply available security patches to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-31879 is a critical vulnerability affecting IBM i 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4, which could potentially allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code and cause denial of service to network ports. It underscores the need for system administrators to keep their operating systems updated, apply proper input validation techniques, and always stay on top of the latest security news and advisories.

Timeline

Published on: 05/18/2024 16:15:47 UTC
Last modified on: 05/20/2024 13:00:34 UTC