CVE-2024-3116
📋 TL;DR
pgAdmin versions up to 8.4 contain a remote code execution vulnerability in the validate binary path API. Attackers can exploit this to execute arbitrary code on the server hosting pgAdmin, potentially compromising the database management system and underlying data. All users running pgAdmin <= 8.4 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- pgAdmin
📦 What is this software?
Fedora by Fedoraproject
Pgadmin 4 by Pgadmin
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full server compromise leading to database takeover, data exfiltration, and lateral movement to other systems.
Likely Case
Unauthorized code execution on the pgAdmin server, potentially allowing database access and manipulation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation and access controls prevent exploitation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Public proof-of-concept code exists, making exploitation straightforward for attackers.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 8.5 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/pgadmin-org/pgadmin4/issues/7326
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup your pgAdmin configuration and data. 2. Upgrade to pgAdmin 8.5 or later. 3. Restart the pgAdmin service. 4. Verify the upgrade was successful.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
linuxRestrict network access to pgAdmin to only trusted IP addresses or internal networks.
Use firewall rules to limit access: iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5050 -s trusted_ip -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5050 -j DROP
Disable Vulnerable API Endpoint
allIf possible, disable or block access to the validate binary path API endpoint.
Configure web server (e.g., nginx, Apache) to block requests to /validate_binary_path or similar vulnerable endpoints
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate pgAdmin server from internet and restrict internal network access to only necessary users.
- Implement strict monitoring and alerting for suspicious activities on the pgAdmin server.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check pgAdmin version: if version <= 8.4, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
pgadmin4 --version or check the web interface About pageVerify Fix Applied:
After upgrading, verify version is 8.5 or later and test that the validate binary path API no longer accepts malicious input.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual requests to /validate_binary_path or similar API endpoints
- Suspicious command execution in server logs
- Failed authentication attempts followed by API exploitation
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from pgAdmin server
- Traffic to known malicious IPs or domains
SIEM Query:
source="pgadmin.log" AND (url_path="/validate_binary_path" OR cmd_exec*)🔗 References
- https://gist.github.com/aelmokhtar/689a8be7e3bd535ec01992d8ec7b2b98
- https://github.com/pgadmin-org/pgadmin4/issues/7326
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/GIF5T34JTTYRGIN5YPT366BDFG6452A2/
- https://gist.github.com/aelmokhtar/689a8be7e3bd535ec01992d8ec7b2b98
- https://github.com/pgadmin-org/pgadmin4/issues/7326
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/GIF5T34JTTYRGIN5YPT366BDFG6452A2/
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/remote-code-execution-vulnerability-in-pgadmin-cve-2024-3116
