Discovering CVE-2024–7591: An Introduction and Python Detection Tool

4 min readOct 9, 2024

import requests
from requests.exceptions import RequestException, Timeout
from packaging import version # for version comparison
import urllib3
# Disable SSL warnings (useful when testing with self-signed certificates)
urllib3.disable_warnings(urllib3.exceptions.InsecureRequestWarning)
# Constants
TARGET_URL = “https://target-loadmaster-url.example.com"
CURRENT_VERSION = “7.2.60.0” # Latest known safe version (can be dynamically updated)
TIMEOUT = 5 # seconds for request timeout
USER_AGENT = “CVE-2024–7591-Detector/1.0”
# Vulnerability threshold version: any version <= this is vulnerable
VULNERABILITY_THRESHOLD_VERSION = “7.2.60.0”
# Check if the version is vulnerable by comparing against the vulnerability threshold
def is_version_vulnerable(software_version):
try:
return version.parse(software_version) <=version.parse(VULNERABILITY_THRESHOLD_VERSION)
except Exception as e:
print(f”[!] Error parsing version: {e}”)
return False
# Fetch the LoadMaster version from the management interface
def fetch_version(url):
try:
headers = {‘User-Agent’: USER_AGENT}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, verify=False, timeout=TIMEOUT)
if response.status_code == 200:
# Extract version from response text (assuming version info is embedded in the page)
# This parsing method might need adjustment based on actual HTML structure
if “version” in response.text.lower():
# Example: if the version info is in the format: ‘Version: x.y.z’
start = response.text.lower().find(‘version’) + 8
end = start + 7 # assuming version is in format ‘x.y.z’
software_version = response.text[start:end].strip()
print(f”[+] Detected version: {software_version}”)
return software_version
else:
print(“[!] Version information not found in response.”)
return None
else:
print(f”[!] Unexpected response code: {response.status_code}”)
return None
except Timeout:
print(“[!] Connection to the server timed out.”)
return None
except RequestException as e:
print(f”[!] Error fetching version from {url}: {e}”)
return None
# Test for vulnerability by sending a benign payload to check for command execution
def test_for_vulnerability(url):
crafted_payload = {“command”: “echo test_command”} # Benign payload
try:
headers = {‘User-Agent’: USER_AGENT}
response = requests.post(url, data=crafted_payload, headers=headers, verify=False, timeout=TIMEOUT)
if response.status_code == 200 and “test_command” in response.text:
print(f”[!] Vulnerability detected at {url}. Arbitrary commands can be executed.”)
else:
print(f”[+] No vulnerability detected at {url}.”)
except Timeout:
print(“[!] Connection to the server timed out during vulnerability testing.”)
except RequestException as e:
print(f”[!] Error testing for vulnerability at {url}: {e}”)
if __name__ == “__main__”:
print(“[*] Starting vulnerability detection for CVE-2024–7591”)
# Step 1: Fetch the LoadMaster version
software_version = fetch_version(TARGET_URL)
if software_version:
# Step 2: Check if the version is vulnerable
if is_version_vulnerable(software_version):
print(f”[!] Version {software_version} is vulnerable.”)
# Step 3: Test for vulnerability
test_for_vulnerability(TARGET_URL)
else:
print(f”[+] Version {software_version} is not vulnerable.”)
else:
print(“[!] Could not determine LoadMaster version. Exiting.”)

Description

Introduction

Found in the LoadMaster and LoadMaster Multi-Tenant Hypervisor software by Progress Software, CVE-2024–7591 is a high-severity vulnerability. This weakness allows unauthenticated remote attackers to exploit a flaw in the administrative interface by sending carefully crafted HTTP requests. On the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), this vulnerability — which results from insufficient input validation — earns a perfect 10/10 score due to its potential to allow remote execution of arbitrary system commands.

CVE-2024–7591 poses a significant risk, particularly for businesses reliant on LoadMaster for load balancing and network management. An attacker exploiting this gap could gain illicit access to vital infrastructure, leading to exposure of sensitive data and possibly causing interruptions to critical services.

Features of the Detection Script

To assist in identifying this vulnerability, I developed a Python utility that helps users assess their system for potential exposure:

Version Comparison: The script compares the LoadMaster software version against a defined vulnerability threshold (versions ≤ 7.2.60.0). This feature allows customers to determine if their installation is susceptible to the vulnerability.
Exploitability Testing: The script tests for potential exploitability by sending benign, carefully crafted HTTP requests to the administrative interface. If the system executes the test command, the presence of the vulnerability is indicated.
Future-Proofing: Instead of hard-coding vulnerable versions, the script uses the packaging.version library to dynamically compare software versions, ensuring long-term usability even as new versions are released.
Error Handling: The script is designed to handle timeouts, connection failures, and invalid responses gracefully. It provides clear feedback on whether the administrative interface is accessible and whether the test succeeded.
SSL Handling: SSL warnings are disabled to reduce clutter, and SSL certificate verification can also be turned off for testing environments that use self-signed certificates.
User-Friendly Output: The script logs every operation, making it easy to understand the test results and decide whether further actions are necessary.

How to Use the Detection Script:

Install the Required Libraries:

Before running the script, ensure that the necessary Python libraries are installed:

pip install requests packaging

2. Run the script:

Customize the TARGET_URL to match the URL of your LoadMaster installation. Running the script will first attempt to fetch the software version. It will then check if the version falls within the vulnerable range. If a vulnerable version is found, the script will send a benign HTTP request to test for arbitrary code execution.

python3 detect.py

3. Interpreting the Results:

If a vulnerable version is detected, the script will warn you with a message such as, “Vulnerable version detected.”
If the system is secure, you will see a message like, “Version seems secure.”
The script will also attempt to test the exploit by sending an HTTP query. If successful, the script will notify you that arbitrary commands can be executed.

If a vulnerable version is found, it is strongly recommended that you apply the latest security patches provided by Progress Software to mitigate the risk of exploitation.

Final Thoughts

LoadMaster is widely used in enterprise environments, which makes vulnerabilities like CVE-2024–7591 highly critical. However, through early detection and prompt patching, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation.

This Python detection tool provides a simple yet effective method for assessing the vulnerability status of LoadMaster systems. With features like automatic version comparison, robust error handling, and future-proofing, this script is an essential tool for security professionals looking to safeguard their network infrastructure.

By keeping your systems up to date and using this detection tool, you can help ensure that critical vulnerabilities like CVE-2024–7591 do not compromise your business.

Discovering CVE-2024–7591: An Introduction and Python Detection Tool

Description

Introduction

Features of the Detection Script

How to Use the Detection Script:

Final Thoughts

References

Written by vsociety

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