CVE-2024-21887 Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure: command or code injection
In plain words: The program treats text it receives as instructions instead of plain data. The attacker can run commands on the machine — often the whole device is taken over.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Jan 22, 2024
What to do
- Install Ivanti's security update for Connect Secure and Policy Secure. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
- Never expose the device's admin page to the internet.
- After patching a device that was exposed, follow the vendor's compromise checks, end active sessions and change passwords.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: They face the internet and guard the whole network, so a flaw here can hand attackers a way in — and these devices usually run no antivirus, so break-ins go unnoticed.
The details
- Official name
- Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure Command Injection Vulnerability
- Product
- Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure
- CISA description
- Ivanti Connect Secure (ICS, formerly known as Pulse Connect Secure) and Ivanti Policy Secure contain a command injection vulnerability in the web components of these products, which can allow an authenticated administrator to send crafted requests to execute code on affected appliances. This vulnerability can be leveraged in conjunction with CVE-2023-46805, an authenticated bypass issue.
- Type of flaw
- Command or code injection (CWE-77)
- Confirmed exploited
- Jan 10, 2024 — known to be used in ransomware attacks
- US federal patch deadline
- Jan 22, 2024
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Answering about CVE-2024-21887 ·
Questions about CVE-2024-21887
Is CVE-2024-21887 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2024-21887 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Jan 10, 2024, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks, including by ransomware groups.
How do I fix CVE-2024-21887?
Install Ivanti's security update for Connect Secure and Policy Secure. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
Am I affected by CVE-2024-21887?
Only if you use Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.