CVE-2024-45788
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers to send unlimited OTP requests to specific API endpoints in Reedos aiM-Star version 2.0.1, potentially flooding the system with OTP messages. The lack of rate limiting enables OTP bombing attacks that could disrupt services or overwhelm notification systems. Only users of the affected Reedos aiM-Star version are impacted.
💻 Affected Systems
- Reedos aiM-Star
📦 What is this software?
Aim Star by Reedos
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete service disruption through OTP flooding, overwhelming notification systems, potential denial of service for legitimate users, and resource exhaustion on the server.
Likely Case
Temporary service degradation, increased operational costs from excessive OTP messages, and potential user frustration from OTP spam.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper rate limiting controls in place, allowing only legitimate OTP requests at reasonable intervals.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is technically simple once credentials are obtained. Attackers can use automated tools to send high volumes of OTP requests.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not specified
Vendor Advisory: https://www.cert-in.org.in/s2cMainServlet?pageid=PUBVLNOTES01&VLCODE=CIVN-2024-0291
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Monitor vendor announcements for patches. 2. Check the CERT-IN advisory for updates. 3. Apply vendor-recommended fixes when available.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement API Rate Limiting
allAdd rate limiting to OTP request endpoints to prevent flooding attacks.
# Configuration depends on your web server/API gateway
# Example for nginx: limit_req_zone $binary_remote_addr zone=otp:10m rate=1r/s;
# Then apply to OTP endpoints: limit_req zone=otp burst=5 nodelay;
Restrict API Access
linuxLimit access to OTP API endpoints to trusted IP addresses or networks only.
# Example firewall rule (iptables):
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [API_PORT] -s [TRUSTED_IP] -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [API_PORT] -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network-level rate limiting using WAF or API gateway solutions.
- Monitor OTP request logs for abnormal patterns and implement alerting for excessive requests.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if Reedos aiM-Star version is 2.0.1 and test OTP endpoints for rate limiting by sending multiple rapid requests.Check Version:
# Check application version through admin interface or configuration filesVerify Fix Applied:
After implementing controls, test that OTP endpoints reject requests beyond the configured rate limit.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- High frequency of OTP requests from single user/IP
- Consecutive OTP requests with minimal time intervals
- OTP failure logs showing rate limit violations
Network Indicators:
- Unusual spike in API traffic to OTP endpoints
- Repeated POST requests to OTP API paths
SIEM Query:
source="application_logs" OTP_REQUEST count by src_ip, user_id | where count > 10 within 1min