CVE-2019-11074 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

PRTG Network Monitor 19.1.49 and earlier versions are vulnerable to a "Write to Arbitrary Location in Disk" issue, allowing attackers to store files on the disk without controlling their contents. The vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization in passing arguments to phantomjs.exe.

Understanding CVE-2019-11074

This CVE involves a security flaw in PRTG Network Monitor versions 19.1.49 and below, enabling attackers to write files to any location on the disk.

What is CVE-2019-11074?

The vulnerability allows authenticated administrators to create a new HTTP Full Web Page Sensor with specific settings, leading to unauthorized file storage on the disk.

The Impact of CVE-2019-11074

Attackers can store files in any location on the disk without controlling the file contents.
The vulnerability requires authenticated access to exploit, limiting its scope.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-11074

This section provides in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw arises from insufficient sanitization when passing arguments to the phantomjs.exe binary, enabling unauthorized file storage.

Affected Systems and Versions

PRTG Network Monitor 19.1.49 and earlier versions are impacted.

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit the vulnerability, authenticated administrators must create a new HTTP Full Web Page Sensor with specific settings during execution.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2019-11074 with these mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update PRTG Network Monitor to the latest version to patch the vulnerability.
Monitor system logs for any suspicious activities related to file storage.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement regular security training for administrators to recognize and mitigate such vulnerabilities.
Conduct periodic security audits to identify and address potential security gaps.

Patching and Updates

Regularly apply security patches and updates to ensure system integrity and protection against known vulnerabilities.