Researchers have recently uncovered a significant security vulnerability in Progress Telerik Report Servers, demonstrating a proof-of-concept exploit script. This vulnerability, a chained remote code execution (RCE) flaw, poses a serious risk to organizations utilizing the Telerik Report Server for managing reports securely. The exploit, developed by cybersecurity researcher Sina Kheirkha with assistance from Soroush Dalili, targets two critical flaws: an authentication bypass and a deserialization issue.
The authentication bypass flaw, identified as CVE-2024-4358, enables the creation of rogue admin accounts without proper authentication checks. Kheirkha’s investigation stemmed from a bug disclosure by the software vendor, leading to the discovery that the ‘Register’ method in the ‘StartupController’ was accessible without authentication. This flaw allowed the unauthorized creation of admin accounts even after the initial setup.
In addition to the authentication bypass, the exploit leverages a deserialization vulnerability tracked as CVE-2024-1800. This flaw, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable servers, was addressed by the vendor through a security update. Despite the complexity of exploiting the deserialization bug, Kheirkha’s detailed write-up and Python script make it accessible to potential attackers.
To mitigate these risks, organizations are urged to promptly apply available updates, specifically upgrading to version 10.1.24.514 or later. System administrators are advised to review their Report Server’s users list for any unauthorized additions. Given the potential impact of these vulnerabilities and the history of exploitation of Progress Software flaws, proactive measures are essential to safeguarding sensitive data and infrastructure.
Reference:
