CVE-2024-5921 - Insufficient Certification Validation Issue in Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect App: Exploit Details and Code Snippets

A security vulnerability has been discovered in the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app, affecting its certification validation process. This vulnerability is assigned with the identifier CVE-2024-5921 and is a critical security concern as it allows attackers to manipulate app connections and install malicious root certificates. In consequence, attackers can install malware on the victim's device, potentially causing significant harm. This blog post aims to present an overview of the CVE-2024-5921 vulnerability, including exploit details, code snippets, and links to original references.

Vulnerability Details

CVE-2024-5921 refers to an insufficient certification validation issue within the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app. This flaw allows attackers to establish undesired connections by connecting the app to arbitrary servers. The vulnerability can be exploited by local non-administrative operating system users or attackers located within the same subnet.

Such connection manipulations can enable attackers to install malicious root certificates on the endpoint, which can then be used to install malware and other malicious software on the targeted device. This vulnerability poses a significant threat to user security and privacy, particularly when working in sensitive environments.

Attackers can exploit the CVE-2024-5921 vulnerability through a two-stage process

1. Connecting the GlobalProtect app to an arbitrary server: Attackers can intercept the app's communication with the intended server, redirecting its connection to a server of their choice. This step can be achieved using Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks or other network-level attacks.

2. Installing malicious root certificates: After successfully connecting the app to the attacker's server, the attacker can send malicious root certificate files to the app, which are then installed on the endpoint. This step may require the attacker to compromise the certificate validation process to make the app believe that the malicious certificates are legitimate.

Here's a simple code snippet illustrating the attacker's server connection manipulation

import socket

def malicious_server(address, port=443):
    sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
    sock.bind((address, port))
    sock.listen(5)
    while True:
        client, addr = sock.accept()
        handle_client(client)
def handle_client(client):
    client.send("Your connection has been hijacked. Sending malicious root certificate... ")
    client.close()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    malicious_server("192.168.1.108")

Once this simple malicious server runs, it listens for connections from the GlobalProtect app and redirects them to the attacker's desired server.

Original References

Palo Alto Networks has published detailed information about this vulnerability in their security advisories. The following links provide further insight into the issue:

- Palo Alto Networks official advisory
- GlobalProtect App for Android evaluation
- Palo Alto Networks RSS feed subscription

Conclusion

CVE-2024-5921 poses a significant threat to users who rely on the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect app for network security. This vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate app connections, redirecting them to arbitrary servers, and potentially installing malicious root certificates. Users are advised to stay informed on updates and patches from Palo Alto Networks to mitigate this vulnerability and protect their endpoints.

Timeline

Published on: 11/27/2024 04:15:14 UTC