CVE-2024-21652: Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x32m-mvfj-52xv
CVSS 9.8
CWE-307
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-21652 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-307: Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts) affecting Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves bypassing brute force protection via application crash and in-memory data loss. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.8.13, 2.9.9, 2.10.4.

CVE-2024-21652 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-21652
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x32m-mvfj-52xv
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-307: Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts
Affected Product Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2024-21652

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 fixed: 2.8.13
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.8.13
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 fixed: 2.9.9
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.9.9
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 fixed: 2.10.4
Upgrade github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 to 2.10.4
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:

inspect dependencies for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2024-21652, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2:

inspect dependencies for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.8.13), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-307: Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts, where the product does not implement sufficient measures to prevent multiple failed authentication attempts within a short time frame. In Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Summary An attacker can exploit a chain of vulnerabilities, including a Denial of Service (DoS) flaw and in-memory data storage weakness, to effectively bypass the application's brute force login protection. This makes the application susceptible to brute force attacks, compromising the security of all user accounts. ### Details The issue arises from two main vulnerabilities: 1. The application crashes due to a previously described DoS vulnerability caused by unsafe array modifications in a multi-threaded environment. 2. The application saves the data of failed login attempts in-memory, without persistent storage. When the application crashes and restarts, this data is lost, resetting the brute force protections. ```go // LoginAttempts is a timestamped counter for failed login attempts type LoginAttempts struct { // Time of the last failed login LastFailed time.Time `json:"lastFailed"` // Number of consecutive login failures FailCount int `json:"failCount"` } ``` By chaining these vulnerabilities, an attacker can circumvent the limitations placed on the number of login attempts. ### PoC 1. Run the provided PoC script. 2. Observe that the script makes 6 login attempts, one more than the set limit of 5 failed attempts. 3. This is made possible because the script triggers a server restart via the DoS vulnerability after 5 failed attempts, thus resetting the counter for failed login attempts. ### Impact This is a critical security vulnerability that allows attackers to bypass the brute force login protection mechanism. Not only can they crash the service affecting all users, but they can also make unlimited login attempts, increasing the risk of account compromise.

CVE-2024-21652 Affected Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.8.132.9.92.10.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2
Go
< 2.8.13
2.8.13
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2
Go
≥ 2.9.0
< 2.9.9
2.9.9
github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2
Go
≥ 2.10.0
< 2.10.4
2.10.4

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-21652?
CVE-2024-21652 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 involving Bypassing Brute Force Protection via Application Crash and In-Memory Data Loss under CWE-307: Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts.
Which Github.com/argoproj/argo cd/v2 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.8.13, 2.9.9, 2.10.4 across affected packages: github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2.
What version fixes CVE-2024-21652?
Upgrading to 2.8.13, 2.9.9, 2.10.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 affected?
Yes, github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2 is affected in releases prior to 2.8.13, 2.9.9, 2.10.4. Upgrade your dependency to 2.8.13, 2.9.9, 2.10.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-21652?
CVE-2024-21652 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-21652?
CVE-2024-21652 is classified under CWE-307: Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts (The product does not implement sufficient measures to prevent multiple failed authentication attempts within a short time frame.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2024-21652?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-x32m-mvfj-52xv",
  "modified" : "2025-01-09T18:51:54Z",
  "published" : "2024-03-18T17:21:17Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-21652" ],
  "summary" : "Bypassing Brute Force Protection via Application Crash and In-Memory Data Loss",
  "details" : "### Summary\nAn attacker can exploit a chain of vulnerabilities, including a Denial of Service (DoS) flaw and in-memory data storage weakness, to effectively bypass the application's brute force login protection. This makes the application susceptible to brute force attacks, compromising the security of all user accounts.\n\n### Details\nThe issue arises from two main vulnerabilities:\n\n1. The application crashes due to a previously described DoS vulnerability caused by unsafe array modifications in a multi-threaded environment.\n2. The application saves the data of failed login attempts in-memory, without persistent storage. When the application crashes and restarts, this data is lost, resetting the brute force protections.\n\n```go\n// LoginAttempts is a timestamped counter for failed login attempts\n\ntype LoginAttempts struct {  \n// Time of the last failed login LastFailed time.Time `json:\"lastFailed\"` // Number of consecutive login failures FailCount int `json:\"failCount\"`\n\n}\n```\n\nBy chaining these vulnerabilities, an attacker can circumvent the limitations placed on the number of login attempts.\n\n### PoC\n1. Run the provided PoC script.\n2. Observe that the script makes 6 login attempts, one more than the set limit of 5 failed attempts.\n3. This is made possible because the script triggers a server restart via the DoS vulnerability after 5 failed attempts, thus resetting the counter for failed login attempts.\n\n### Impact\nThis is a critical security vulnerability that allows attackers to bypass the brute force login protection mechanism. Not only can they crash the service affecting all users, but they can also make unlimited login attempts, increasing the risk of account compromise.\n",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
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  }, {
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    },
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      }, {
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    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/v2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
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      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.10.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.10.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/security/advisories/GHSA-x32m-mvfj-52xv"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-21652"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/commit/17b0df1168a4c535f6f37e95f25ed7cd81e1fa4d"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/commit/6e181d72b31522f886a2afa029d5b26d7912ec7b"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd/commit/cebb6538f7944c87ca2fecb5d17f8baacc431456"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/security_considerations/#cve-2020-8827-insufficient-anti-automationanti-brute-force"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/argoproj/argo-cd"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-307" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-03-18T17:21:17Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-03-18T18:15:09Z"
  }
}