CVE-2024-8686 - Command Injection Vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS Software allows an Authenticated Administrator to Run Arbitrary Commands as Root on the Firewall

A newly discovered security vulnerability (CVE-2024-8686) has been found in the PAN-OS software, vulnerability specifically affects the Palo Alto Networks products. This vulnerability is a command injection vulnerability that allows an authenticated administrator to bypass system restrictions and execute arbitrary commands as the root user on the affected firewall.

In this post, we will delve into the details of this vulnerability like how it occurs, the potential impact on affected systems, and possible remediation steps. We will also provide relevant code snippets and links to the original sources for a more in-depth understanding of the vulnerability.

Exploit Details

Command injection vulnerabilities are a common security issue in software applications, where an attacker can execute arbitrary commands on a system due to insufficient input validation or unsanitary handling of user input.

In the case of CVE-2024-8686, an authenticated administrator with malicious intent can leverage the built-in functionality of PAN-OS software to inject malicious code and execute arbitrary commands as the root user on the firewall system. The administrator can take advantage of the vulnerability by inserting a specially crafted command into the input field, and the PAN-OS software will execute the command without proper sanitization, resulting in command execution as root.

Here's a code snippet demonstrating the vulnerability

// Vulnerable code in PAN-OS software
function executeCommand(input_command) {
  const command_to_execute = "iptables -A INPUT -i " + input_command + " -j ACCEPT";
  const result = execSync(command_to_execute);
  return result;
}

In the above code snippet, the executeCommand() function is used to execute a command specified by the input_command parameter with the context of an iptables rule. However, there is no input validation or sanitization performed on the input_command variable, allowing an attacker to inject their malicious command.

Original References

Palo Alto Networks has acknowledged this vulnerability and assigned it the identifier CVE-2024-8686. For more information about this specific vulnerability, refer to the following original sources:

1. Palo Alto Networks Security Advisory: https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2024-8686
2. National Vulnerability Database (NVD) Entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-8686

Potential Impact

The impact of this vulnerability is critical, as it allows an authenticated administrator to completely bypass the system's security and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. This essentially grants the attacker full control over the firewall system, leading to a range of potential attacks such as data exfiltration, DoS attacks, privilege escalation, and unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Remediation Steps

To mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, organizations using PAN-OS software should follow these remediation steps:

1. Apply patches and updates provided by Palo Alto Networks to fix the vulnerability in PAN-OS software: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/security-advisories
2. Restrict administrative access to trusted users only and ensure strong access controls are in place for privileged accounts.

Conclusion

In summary, the CVE-2024-8686 vulnerability in the Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS software demonstrates the critical importance of robust input validation and sanitization in software applications. Failure to address such vulnerabilities can result in severe consequences, including unauthorized access and potential compromise of sensitive systems and data.

By staying informed and vigilant about potential security vulnerabilities and applying recommended remediation steps, organizations can significantly mitigate their risk and help protect their systems and data from malicious attackers.

Timeline

Published on: 09/11/2024 17:15:14 UTC
Last modified on: 09/12/2024 12:35:54 UTC