The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added five new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog, highlighting ongoing threats in widely used software. These vulnerabilities, which affect platforms such as Atlassian Jira, Cisco ASA, Metabase, and Microsoft Windows, are actively exploited by cyber attackers and present significant risks to organizations. CISA’s KEV Catalog, continuously updated, plays a critical role in managing vulnerabilities by prioritizing those that pose immediate threats to security. The agency has assigned a remediation deadline of December 3, 2024, for these vulnerabilities to encourage timely action and reduce the risk of exploitation.
The newly added vulnerabilities include CVE-2021-26086, a path traversal flaw in Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center that could allow attackers to access sensitive files within the system. Additionally, CVE-2014-2120 is a cross-site scripting vulnerability in Cisco ASA, potentially compromising user sessions via malicious scripts injected into the WebVPN login page. CVE-2021-41277 in Metabase’s GeoJSON API exposes sensitive files to attackers by allowing local file inclusion through the custom map support API. These vulnerabilities could lead to unauthorized access and data exfiltration if not promptly mitigated.
In the case of Microsoft Windows, two critical vulnerabilities were added to the catalog. CVE-2024-43451 exposes NTLMv2 hash disclosures, enabling attackers to impersonate users, while CVE-2024-49039 involves a privilege escalation flaw in the Task Scheduler, potentially granting attackers elevated system privileges. These vulnerabilities could facilitate advanced attacks such as privilege escalation or unauthorized access to sensitive systems. CISA has provided guidelines for organizations to mitigate these risks, including patching or disabling vulnerable services where patches are unavailable.
CISA emphasizes the importance of using the KEV Catalog as part of a broader vulnerability management program. Organizations are advised to regularly check the catalog for updates, prioritize vulnerabilities based on risk, and implement patches or alternative mitigations. CISA also encourages coordination with software vendors to ensure secure deployments and reduce risks when patches are complex or unavailable. By acting on these guidelines, organizations can better protect themselves against the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.
