Cybersecurity researchers recently uncovered several serious vulnerabilities in SimpleHelp, a remote access software, which could result in information disclosure, privilege escalation, and remote code execution. These flaws were discovered by Naveen Sunkavally from Horizon3.ai, who noted that the vulnerabilities were easy to exploit and reverse. Among the identified vulnerabilities are CVE-2024-57727, CVE-2024-57728, and CVE-2024-57726. The first flaw, CVE-2024-57727, is an unauthenticated path traversal vulnerability that allows attackers to download arbitrary files from the SimpleHelp server. This includes sensitive files like the serverconfig.xml, which contains hashed passwords for administrator and technician accounts.
CVE-2024-57728, the second vulnerability, is an arbitrary file upload issue that can be exploited by attackers with SimpleHelpAdmin privileges or technicians with admin rights. This flaw permits the upload of arbitrary files to the server, which could lead to remote code execution. CVE-2024-57726 is a privilege escalation vulnerability that enables low-privileged users to gain administrative access by exploiting missing backend authorization checks. By chaining CVE-2024-57726 and CVE-2024-57728 together, an attacker could escalate privileges and upload malicious files to gain control over the SimpleHelp server.
Horizon3.ai followed responsible disclosure practices, notifying SimpleHelp of the flaws
In response to the discovery, Horizon3.ai followed responsible disclosure practices, notifying SimpleHelp of the flaws on January 6, 2025. The company quickly addressed the vulnerabilities in versions 5.3.9, 5.4.10, and 5.5.8, released between January 8 and 13. These updates resolve the critical security issues, and users are urged to apply them promptly. SimpleHelp has also recommended that administrators change the SimpleHelp server’s admin password, rotate technician account passwords, and restrict the IP addresses from which admin and technician logins are permitted.
As remote access tools are often targeted by threat actors to establish persistent access to systems, it is vital for SimpleHelp users to take immediate action. The flaws pose significant risks, especially as they can be exploited to execute remote code or escalate privileges. These vulnerabilities highlight the need for diligent patch management and the application of security best practices to safeguard sensitive systems and data from potential attacks.
