Analysis Summary

Progress Kemp is affected by now-patched security vulnerabilities. It has been discovered that LoadMaster and VMware vCenter Server are being actively exploited in the wild.

CVE-2024-1212 (CVSS score: 10.0), a maximum-severity security flaw in Progress Kemp LoadMaster, was added to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) list on Monday. Progress Software patched it back in February 2024. Through the Progress Kemp LoadMaster administration interface, an unauthenticated remote attacker can get access to the system and execute arbitrary system commands due to a vulnerability in LoadMaster's OS command injection.

The addition of CVE-2024-1212 by CISA comes as Broadcom has warned that attackers are now taking advantage of two security holes in the VMware vCenter Server that were shown off at the Matrix Cup cybersecurity competition earlier this year in China. The corporation released remedies for the vulnerabilities, CVE-2024-38812 (CVSS score: 9.8) and CVE-2024-38813 (CVSS score: 7.5), a second time last month, saying that the first patches did not fully address the issue. The flaws were first fixed in September 2024.

Although there is presently no data regarding the detected exploitation of these vulnerabilities in actual attacks, CISA advises Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) entities to safeguard their networks by fixing CVE-2024-1212 before December 9, 2024.

Impact

• Unauthorized Access
• Code Execution
• Privilege Escalation

Indicators of Compromise

CVE

• CVE-2024-1212
• CVE-2024-38812
• CVE-2024-38813

Remediation

• Refer to the Progress Software Website for patch, upgrade, or suggested workaround information.
• Refer to VMware Security Advisory for patch, upgrade, or suggested workaround information.
• Organizations must test their assets for the vulnerabilities mentioned above and apply the available security patch or mitigation steps as soon as possible.
• Implement multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to login processes.
• Regularly monitor network activity for any unusual behavior, as this may indicate that a cyberattack is underway.
• Organizations must stay vigilant and follow best practices for cybersecurity to protect their systems and data from potential threats. This includes regularly updating software and implementing strong access controls and monitoring tools.
• Develop a comprehensive incident response plan to respond effectively in case of a security breach or data leakage.
• Maintain regular backups of critical data and systems to ensure data recovery in case of a security incident.
• Adhere to security best practices, including the principle of least privilege, and ensure that users and applications have only the necessary permissions.
• Establish a robust patch management process to ensure that security patches are evaluated, tested, and applied promptly.
• Conduct security audits and assessments to evaluate the overall security posture of your systems and networks.
• Implement network segmentation to contain and isolate potential threats to limit their impact on critical systems.