CVE-2024-11481
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in ESM 11.6.10 allows unauthenticated attackers to access internal Snowservice API endpoints via path traversal. This can lead to unauthorized data access, system manipulation, and potential compromise of the entire ESM environment. Organizations running affected ESM versions are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- McAfee Enterprise Security Manager (ESM)
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code, access sensitive data, manipulate configurations, and pivot to other systems in the network.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to internal API endpoints leading to data exfiltration, configuration changes, and potential privilege escalation within the ESM environment.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and access controls preventing external access to vulnerable endpoints.
🎯 Exploit Status
The combination of unauthenticated access and path traversal makes exploitation straightforward for attackers with network access to the vulnerable system.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 11.6.11 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://thrive.trellix.com/s/article/000014058
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download ESM 11.6.11 or later from the McAfee support portal. 2. Backup current configuration and data. 3. Apply the patch following vendor instructions. 4. Restart the ESM service. 5. Verify the update was successful.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
linuxRestrict network access to ESM Snowservice API endpoints using firewall rules or network segmentation.
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [ESM_PORT] -s [TRUSTED_NETWORK] -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [ESM_PORT] -j DROP
Reverse Proxy Configuration
allDeploy a reverse proxy with authentication and path validation in front of the ESM API endpoints.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate ESM systems from untrusted networks
- Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to block path traversal patterns and unauthorized API access
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ESM version via admin console or command line. If version is 11.6.10, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On ESM server: cat /etc/issue or check ESM admin interface for version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify ESM version is 11.6.11 or later and test that unauthenticated access to Snowservice API endpoints is no longer possible.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthenticated access attempts to Snowservice API endpoints
- Path traversal patterns in request logs
- Unusual API calls from unexpected IP addresses
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to ESM API ports from unauthorized sources
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful API access
SIEM Query:
source="esm_logs" AND ("Snowservice" OR "unauthenticated" OR "path traversal") AND status="200"