Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in OpenSSH
CVE-2024-7589

8.1HIGH

Key Information:

Vendor: FreeBSD
Status: FreeBSD
Vendor: CVE Published:; 12 August 2024

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What is CVE-2024-7589?

CVE-2024-7589 is a critical vulnerability affecting OpenSSH, specifically within the FreeBSD operating system. OpenSSH is widely used for secure shell access, allowing users to securely connect to remote servers. This vulnerability arises from an issue in the signal handling mechanism of the sshd service, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges without authentication. The implications of this vulnerability are severe, as it could lead to full system compromise for any organization using the affected version of OpenSSH.

Technical Details

The vulnerability is rooted in the way the sshd service manages signal handling. When a client fails to authenticate within a specified time frame (LoginGraceTime), the signal handler is triggered, which calls a logging function that is not considered async-signal-safe. Because the execution occurs in the context of privileged code running with full root access, a race condition can be exploited if an attacker is determined enough. This means that under certain conditions, an unauthenticated attacker could leverage this flaw to gain remote code execution capabilities, thereby compromising the integrity and security of the affected system.

Impact of the Vulnerability

Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution: The primary impact of CVE-2024-7589 is the potential for unauthenticated remote code execution with root privileges. This allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the server, potentially taking full control of the system.
Increased Risk of Data Breaches: With root access gained through this vulnerability, attackers could exfiltrate sensitive data, leading to major data breaches that could have severe legal and reputational consequences for affected organizations.
Compromise of System Integrity: The ability to execute arbitrary code could allow attackers to implant malware or backdoors into the system, leading to further exploitation, system instability, and the potential spread of attacks across networked environments.

Affected Version(s)

FreeBSD 14.1-RELEASE

FreeBSD 14.0-RELEASE

FreeBSD 13.3-RELEASE

News Articles

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CVE-2024-7589

FreeBSD Issues an Emergency Fix for Severe OpenSSH Security Flaw

Discover the critical OpenSSH vulnerability (CVE-2024-7589) in FreeBSD systems allowing remote code execution as root, and learn the urgent steps needed for mitigation.