Appsecure logo

CVE-2024-38657: Medium Vulnerability in Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure

CVE-2024-38657 exposes Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure to file write vulnerabilities. Remote authenticated attackers with admin privileges can exploit this. Immediate patching is recommended.

MEDIUMCVSS 4.9 · Published February 21, 2025

Not a customer? See how AppSecure simulates real world attacks to protect your infrastructure.

Speak to Experts

CVE-2024-38657 is a medium severity vulnerability found in Ivanti Connect Secure before version 22.7R2.4 and Ivanti Policy Secure before version 22.7R1.3. This vulnerability allows external control of a file name, enabling a remote authenticated attacker with admin privileges to write arbitrary files. The risk to organizations includes potential unauthorized access to sensitive information and manipulation of system integrity. Given the nature of this vulnerability, organizations should prioritize patching immediately.

This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 4.9, indicating a medium severity level. The low attack complexity and the high privileges required for exploitation heighten the urgency for organizations to address this vulnerability. No public exploits have been confirmed, but the potential for exploitation exists.

Organizations using affected versions of Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure should take immediate action to remediate this vulnerability. Notably, the lack of a known exploit does not diminish the necessity for timely patching.

In summary, the urgency to address CVE-2024-38657 cannot be overstated. The potential risks associated with this vulnerability necessitate immediate attention and remediation.

Vulnerability Details

The official description states: 'External control of a file name in Ivanti Connect Secure before version 22.7R2.4 and Ivanti Policy Secure before version 22.7R1.3 allows a remote authenticated attacker with admin privileges to write arbitrary files.' This vulnerability falls under the CWE-73 classification, indicating a potential weakness in file access control.

With a CVSS 3.1 score of 4.9, the severity is classified as medium. The attack vector is network-based, and the attack complexity is low, requiring high privileges with no user interaction. The integrity impact is high, while confidentiality and availability impacts are noted as none.

Technical Analysis

The root cause of this vulnerability relates to insufficient validation of file names, allowing an attacker to write arbitrary files. The attack vector is network-based, meaning attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely. The attack complexity is low, indicating that it can be executed with minimal effort. High privileges are required to exploit this vulnerability, yet user interaction is not necessary.

Regarding impacts, the integrity of the system is at high risk due to potential unauthorized modifications to files. Confidentiality impacts are none, indicating that sensitive data is not directly exposed. Availability remains unaffected, suggesting that the system will continue to function despite potential exploits.

Risk & Impact Analysis

Organizations utilizing Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure must recognize the real-world risk posed by CVE-2024-38657. The potential for attackers to exploit this vulnerability could lead to significant integrity compromises within those systems.

The urgency assessment based on the CVSS score indicates that organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle. Given the low complexity and high privileges required for exploitation, the blast radius could be considerable if exploited in a large network environment.

Organizations should schedule remediation to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability effectively. The potential impact on system integrity and the ease of exploitation warrant immediate attention.

Exploitation Status

Signal

Status

Known Exploit

No

Public PoC

No

Actively Exploited

No

Ransomware Use

No

Affected Versions

All versions of Ivanti Connect Secure prior to version 22.7R2.4 and Ivanti Policy Secure prior to version 22.7R1.3 are affected by this vulnerability.

Mitigation & Remediation

Organizations should prioritize patching their installations of Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure to the latest versions to remediate this vulnerability. It is also recommended to implement configuration hardening to restrict unauthorized file access.

For more information on penetration testing services that can help validate your security posture, consider engaging in penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses.

Detection Guidance

Organizations should monitor logs for any unauthorized file access attempts or modifications. Behavioral anomalies may indicate exploitation attempts, and network signatures should be established to identify unusual file write operations.

AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight

The long-term significance of CVE-2024-38657 highlights the necessity for organizations to maintain robust file access controls and regular security assessments. This incident underscores a pattern of vulnerabilities associated with misconfigured file access, which is common in many enterprise applications.

Security teams should learn from this vulnerability to enhance their defensive measures against similar threats. For comprehensive insights into security practices, organizations can explore vulnerability management programs and consider a proactive approach to security with penetration testing methodologies that can help secure their applications.

Emphasizing the importance of continuous security testing can aid organizations in identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities before they are exploited.

Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

Latest CVEs. Recently published vulnerabilities from the NVD database.

View all vulnerabilities
CVE IDSeverity
CVE-2025-65418HIGH
CVE-2025-65417MEDIUM
CVE-2025-65416MEDIUM
CVE-2025-65415MEDIUM
CVE-2025-61314HIGH

Protect Your Business with Hacker-Focused Approach.