Zabbix, a widely-used open-source IT infrastructure monitoring tool, has been found to contain a critical SQL injection vulnerability, identified as CVE-2024-42327. This vulnerability, with a CVSS score of 9.9, affects the user.get API endpoint and poses significant risks to organizations using the platform for monitoring their IT systems. The flaw can be exploited by any non-admin user with API access, including those with the default “User” role, making it particularly concerning for organizations that have not tightly controlled access to their Zabbix instances.
The vulnerability allows attackers to inject malicious SQL code into API calls, potentially granting them unauthorized access to sensitive data. If successfully exploited, attackers could escalate their privileges within the system, gaining control of Zabbix instances and compromising crucial monitoring data. The potential impact of this vulnerability includes data breaches, where attackers could access and exfiltrate sensitive system configurations, performance metrics, and user credentials. Furthermore, the attacker could manipulate or delete critical monitoring data, disrupting operations and potentially leading to a denial of service.
Zabbix, upon discovering the flaw, moved swiftly to release patches addressing the issue. The patched versions, 6.0.32rc1, 6.4.17rc1, and 7.0.1rc1, include fixes that mitigate the vulnerability and prevent exploitation. As part of the remediation process, organizations using Zabbix are strongly encouraged to update to these versions immediately. In addition to applying patches, it is recommended that users review their access controls and ensure that only authorized personnel are granted API access, reducing the risk of exploitation.
The discovery of CVE-2024-42327 was made by security researcher Márk Rákóczi, who reported the issue through the HackerOne bug bounty platform. Zabbix quickly acknowledged the vulnerability and released the necessary patches. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of robust security practices, particularly when managing critical monitoring infrastructure. Organizations using Zabbix should prioritize applying these patches and revisiting their security policies to safeguard against potential attacks that could compromise their IT environments.
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