Path traversal, also known as directory traversal, occurs when a malicious user manipulates user-supplied data to gain unauthorized access to files and directories. Typically the attacker will be trying to access logs and credentials that are in different directories. Path traversal is not a new vulnerability and has been actively exploited since the 90s when web servers gained popularity, many relied on Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts to execute dynamic server-side content.

Welcome to the Threat Context Monthly blog series where we provide a comprehensive roundup of the most relevant cybersecurity news and threat information from KrakenLabs, Outpost24’s cyber threat intelligence team. Here’s what you need to know from November.

Cyber threats are at an all-time high because the digital world is rapidly changing so quickly. Every day, new vulnerabilities are found in security systems. Attacks threaten businesses of all sizes by stealing data, disrupting operations, and damaging reputations. It has become clear that Vulnerability Management as a Service (VMaaS) is the best way for companies to protect their digital assets without having to manage security systems themselves.

Command injection is a vulnerability still very prevalent in web applications despite being less famous than its cousins SQL injection or Code injection. If you’re familiar with other injection vulnerabilities, you’ll recognize the common principle: untrusted user input is not properly validated, leading to the execution of arbitrary system commands. This flaw occurs when unvalidated input is passed to system-level functions. So how prominent is command injection actually?

The e-commerce world was recently shaken by the discovery of a vulnerability in Adobe Commerce and Magento, two of the most widely used e-commerce platforms. Dubbed "CosmicSting" and designated as CVE-2024-34102, this vulnerability exposes millions of online stores to potential remote code execution and data exfiltration risks.

On November 18, 2024, Palo Alto Networks disclosed the existence of two vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-0012 and CVE-2024-9474) in Palo Alto Networks OS (PAN-OS), the operating system used on their firewall devices. A day later, watchTowr released a report providing technical details on how to chain the two vulnerabilities together to achieve remote code execution of these vulnerabilities.

On November 19, 2024, Palo Alto Networks disclosed two critical vulnerabilities in its PAN-OS software, CVE-2024-0012 an Authentication Bypas, and CVE-2024-9474 a Privilege Escalation. These vulnerabilities enable attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access and escalate privileges to root level. Exploitation of these vulnerabilities, observed in the wild, has been attributed to a targeted campaign dubbed Operation Lunar Peek.

We’ve had a lot to celebrate at Nucleus this year, with today’s news being the being one of our most significant achievements of the year. Speaking for the whole company, we are proud to have been named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in North America for 2024, and for the recognition of our 1,562% growth over the past three years.