CVE-2024-5913 - In-depth Analysis of Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS Software

The Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software has been identified to be susceptible to a privilege escalation vulnerability due to improper input validation, as described in CVE-2024-5913. This post provides a comprehensive analysis of the vulnerability, the associated exploit details, code snippets, and links to original references.

Overview

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system has recently assigned an identifier, CVE-2024-5913, to a particularly worrisome vulnerability within the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software. This vulnerability allows cyber attackers, who can tamper with the physical file system, to obtain escalated privileges; potentially leading to unauthorized access, the compromise of sensitive information, and data manipulation or loss.

Exploit Details

The vulnerability exists due to improper input validation by the PAN-OS software. When handling certain requests, PAN-OS fails to correctly validate and sanitize user-supplied input. As a result, a malicious attacker is able to exploit this by tampering with the physical file system, potentially gaining unauthorized access and elevated privileges within the affected system.

Here is a basic example of a code snippet demonstrating how the vulnerability might be exploited

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <unistd.h>

int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   char buf[256];

   if (argc < 2) {
      printf("Usage: %s <input to exploit>\n", argv[]);
      return 1;
   }

   strncpy(buf, argv[1], sizeof(buf) - 1);
   buf[sizeof(buf) - 1] = '\';

   // Perform malicious action using buf
   // ...

   return ;
}

In the code snippet above, the program accepts user input without proper validation and then copies the input into a buffer (buf). This lack of validation could be exploited to manipulate and compromise the file system.

Original References

The vulnerability was first reported by Palo Alto Networks here, while further details regarding the vulnerability and an official CVE entry can be found at the following websites:
- Palo Alto Networks Advisory
- CVE Details
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD)

Mitigation

Palo Alto Networks has addressed this vulnerability in PAN-OS version 10..7 and later. Users are strongly encouraged to update their PAN-OS software to the latest version to ensure they are protected against this exploit. Additionally, organizations should implement strict access controls, monitoring policies, and periodic scans to identify any attempts at exploiting this vulnerability.

In conclusion, the CVE-2024-5913 vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software highlights the importance of thorough input validation and the potential dangers associated with allowing malicious attackers the ability to manipulate a system's file structure. It is crucial for organizations to stay updated on emerging security threats and take the necessary steps to protect their networks and users.

Timeline

Published on: 07/10/2024 19:15:11 UTC
Last modified on: 08/06/2024 04:19:19 UTC