CVE-2024-55555
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2024-55555 is an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability in Invoice Ninja that allows attackers who know the APP_KEY to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. This affects all Invoice Ninja installations before version 5.10.43 that use default or exposed APP_KEY values. The vulnerability stems from insecure deserialization in a pre-authenticated route.
💻 Affected Systems
- Invoice Ninja
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands, steal sensitive data, install malware, or pivot to other systems in the network.
Likely Case
Attackers who discover exposed APP_KEY values can achieve remote code execution, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or system takeover.
If Mitigated
With proper APP_KEY management and network segmentation, impact is limited to the web application container with no lateral movement.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires knowledge of the APP_KEY value, which may be exposed in public repositories or through other means.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 5.10.43 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/invoiceninja/invoiceninja/commit/d9302021472c3e7e23bac8c3d5fbec57a5f38f0c
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your Invoice Ninja installation and database. 2. Update to version 5.10.43 or later via composer update or manual upgrade. 3. Verify the patch is applied by checking the version. 4. Regenerate APP_KEY if it may have been exposed.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict access to vulnerable route
allBlock access to the /{hash} route at the web server or firewall level
# For Apache: RewriteRule ^/.*\{hash\}.*$ - [F,L]
# For Nginx: location ~* /\{hash\} { return 403; }
Regenerate APP_KEY
allGenerate a new secure APP_KEY and update configuration
php artisan key:generate
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate Invoice Ninja instances from critical systems
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with rules to block deserialization attacks
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if Invoice Ninja version is below 5.10.43 and if the APP_KEY is exposed in public repositories or configuration filesCheck Version:
php artisan --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 5.10.43 or higher and test that the /{hash} route no longer accepts malicious payloads📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual requests to /{hash} route with encrypted payloads
- PHP deserialization errors in application logs
- Suspicious process execution from web server user
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to /{hash} with encrypted data
- Outbound connections from web server to suspicious IPs
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND uri_path="/{hash}" AND (status_code=200 OR status_code=500)