CVE-2024-5914 - How Command Injection Issue in Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR CommonScripts Pack Allows Unauthenticated Attackers to Execute Arbitrary Commands

Cortex XSOAR, a product from Palo Alto Networks, is a comprehensive Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platform that brings together security orchestration, incident management, and interactive investigation. The CommonScripts Pack is a package designed to expand the functionality of the Cortex XSOAR by providing reusable scripts that can be customized to fit various security scenarios.

A significant vulnerability (CVE-2024-5914) has been discovered in the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR CommonScripts Pack. This post will provide an in-depth look at this command injection issue, exploring the exploit details, possible mitigations, and code snippets related to the vulnerability, as well as links to the original references.

Background

The vulnerability at hand, CVE-2024-5914, affects Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR CommonScripts Pack. A command injection issue occurs when an input provided by the attacker is insufficiently validated and is used directly in commands or code execution. In this specific case, the vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands within the context of an integration container.

Exploit Details

The vulnerability is a command injection issue due to a lack of proper input validation and sanitization in one of the CommonScripts. When an attacker can control the input in certain scripts, they can inject commands that will be executed as if they were part of the original script.

Here's an example of how the code snippet could look with the vulnerability

# vulnerable Python function in CommonScripts
def run_command(user_input):
    os.system(f"/usr/bin/some_command {user_input}")

An attacker could exploit this by providing the following input

"; rm -rf /;#"

The resulting command would then execute the following

/usr/bin/some_command ""; rm -rf /;#"

In this example, the attacker initiated a command to delete all files in the system's root directory, illustrating the potential destructive power of this vulnerability.

Mitigation Recommendations

The best mitigation strategy for safeguarding against this vulnerability is to use the latest version of Cortex XSOAR and the CommonScripts Pack and to ensure continual updates are applied. Regularly patching the system helps avoid potential exposures to known vulnerabilities.

If you suspect that your system may be vulnerable, consider conducting security audits and vulnerability assessments on a regular basis to identify and address any potential issues.

In addition, for secure coding practices, input validation and sanitization should always be implemented to prevent attackers from exploiting untrusted data. Using library functions like shlex.quote in Python can aid in protecting the system against command injection attacks:

import shlex

def run_secure_command(user_input):
    sanitized_input = shlex.quote(user_input)
    os.system(f"/usr/bin/some_command {sanitized_input}")

Original References and Further Reading

1. Palo Alto Networks security advisory: https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2024-5914

2. Cortex XSOAR official documentation: https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xsoar

3. CommonScripts Pack on GitHub: https://github.com/demisto/content/tree/master/Packs/CommonScripts

Conclusion

In conclusion, CVE-2024-5914 is a significant vulnerability in the Cortex XSOAR CommonScripts Pack provided by Palo Alto Networks. Understanding and addressing vulnerabilities like these are critical to maintaining a secure environment. Keep your systems and software up to date, enforce secure coding practices, and continually assess your security posture for potential weaknesses.

Timeline

Published on: 08/14/2024 17:15:18 UTC
Last modified on: 08/20/2024 16:22:06 UTC