CVE-2024-51954
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThere is an improper access control issue in ArcGIS Server versions 11.3 and below on Windows and Linux which, under unique circumstances, could allow a remote, low‑privileged authenticated attacker to access secure services published to a standalone (unfederated) ArcGIS Server instance. Successful exploitation results in unauthorized access to protected services outside the attacker’s originally assigned authorization boundary, constituting a scope change. If exploited, this issue would have a high impact on confidentiality, a low impact on integrity, and no impact on the availability of the software.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThis is an improper access control vulnerability in ArcGIS Server 11.3 and below where a low-privileged authenticated user on a standalone (unfederated) instance can bypass authorization boundaries to access secure services outside their assigned permissions. The issue constitutes a scope change, allowing unauthorized access to protected resources.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 10.9.1, <= 11.3CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify ArcGIS Server versionCheck the installed ArcGIS Server version via the ArcGIS Server Administrator Directory (typically at https://server:6443/arcgis/admin) or by reviewing installation documentation. The version is displayed on the Server - Overview page.Affected if The installed version is 10.9.1, 11.0, 11.1, 11.2, or 11.3 (any version >= 10.9.1 and <= 11.3).
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Determine if ArcGIS Server is standalone or federatedCheck the ArcGIS Server federation status via the ArcGIS Server Administrator Directory by querying the /info endpoint, or access ArcGIS Portal and check if the server is listed as federated. A standalone server is one that is NOT federated with ArcGIS Portal.Affected if The server is deployed as standalone (unfederated) - not integrated with ArcGIS Portal for identity management.
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Verify remote accessibilityDetermine if the ArcGIS Server services are accessible from network locations other than localhost. Check firewall rules, reverse proxy configurations, and the server's bound network interfaces. Attempt to access the ArcGIS Server REST services endpoint from an external host.Affected if The ArcGIS Server is directly exposed to untrusted networks without proper network segmentation.
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Review service authorization configurationExamine the security configuration for ArcGIS Server services via the Administrator Directory. Check which services have restricted access permissions and verify the role-based access controls are properly enforced for each secured service.Affected if Low-privileged users can access services that should be restricted to higher-privilege roles, indicating the authorization bypass is present.
A user is affected if their ArcGIS Server version is between 10.9.1 and 11.3 inclusive, the server is deployed as standalone (unfederated), and it is accessible remotely - allowing low-privileged authenticated users to access secured services outside their entitlements.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedApply the vendor patch when available and review service authorization configurations on standalone ArcGIS Server instances. Ensure proper access control lists are enforced for all published services.
ArcGIS Server 11.4 or later (exact fixed release available from Esri)
- 1. Identify your current ArcGIS Server version by checking the About ArcGIS Server in Server Manager or using the ArcGIS Server Administrator Directory
- 2. Verify the deployment is a standalone (unfederated) ArcGIS Server instance, as this vulnerability only affects unfederated servers
- 3. Review all published services and their permissions to understand the current access control configuration
- 4. Plan an upgrade to ArcGIS Server 11.4 or later, as versions 11.3 and below are affected
- 5. Schedule a maintenance window for the upgrade process
- 6. Perform a full backup of the ArcGIS Server configuration, including site settings, services, and data directories
- 7. Execute the upgrade following Esri's standard upgrade documentation for your platform (Windows or Linux)
- 8. After upgrade, verify that service access controls function correctly and the vulnerability is remediated
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,448.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-51954 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-51954 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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