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Path TraversalWeakness · CWE-22

CVE-2024-6127

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-06-27
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
BC Security Empire before 5.9.3 is vulnerable to a path traversal issue that can lead to remote code execution. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability over HTTP by acting as a normal agent, completing all cryptographic handshakes, and then triggering an upload of payload data containing a malicious path.

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 · moderate confidence

BC Security Empire versions before 5.9.3 contain a path traversal vulnerability during the agent upload process. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by completing cryptographic handshakes as a legitimate agent and then uploading payloads containing malicious path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../), potentially escaping intended directories and achieving remote code execution on the server.

MitigationUpgrade to BC Security Empire version 5.9.3 or later immediately. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to the Empire server from untrusted networks and implement monitoring for anomalous agent registration patterns and unusual path traversal attempts in upload requests.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS 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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the installed Empire version
    Run 'empire --version' or check the version displayed on Empire server startup, or inspect the version file in the Empire installation directory
    Affected if The version is lower than 5.9.3 (e.g., 5.9.0, 5.8.x, etc.)
  2. Verify agent upload functionality is enabled
    Check the Empire server configuration files (typically in /opt/Empire or the installation directory) for agent-related settings and API endpoints that handle agent uploads
    Affected if Agent functionality is enabled and the server accepts incoming agent connections
  3. Review server logs for path traversal attempts
    Examine Empire server logs (typically in the logs/ directory) for any POST requests or upload operations containing sequences like '../' or '..\' in file paths
    Affected if Any logs show path traversal sequences in agent upload requests
  4. Detect anomalous agent registration patterns
    Review logs for unexpected numbers of new agent registrations, particularly from new or unrecognized agent IDs, or agents completing handshakes from unusual source addresses
    Affected if Unusual spikes in agent registrations or registrations from unexpected sources are present

You are affected if your Empire version is before 5.9.3 and the agent upload feature is exposed to network attackers.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to BC Security Empire version 5.9.3 or later immediately. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to the Empire server from untrusted networks and implement monitoring for anomalous agent registration patterns and unusual path traversal attempts in upload requests.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Empire 5.9.3 or later

  1. 1. Backup the current Empire installation and all configuration files before proceeding with any upgrade.
  2. 2. Identify the current Empire version by checking the installed package or running 'Empire --version' or checking the version file in the installation directory.
  3. 3. Download Empire version 5.9.3 or the latest stable release from the official GitHub repository (github.com/BC-SECURITY/Empire).
  4. 4. If using a package manager (pip, docker, etc.), upgrade using the appropriate command such as 'pip install empire-checker --upgrade' or pull the latest docker image.
  5. 5. If upgrading manually, replace the existing Empire files with the new version, preserving configuration files where possible.
  6. 6. Review and update any custom configurations or plugins that may be incompatible with the new version.
  7. 7. Restart the Empire server and verify the service is running correctly.
  8. 8. Test that the path traversal vulnerability is no longer present by attempting a controlled upload with path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../etc/passwd) and confirming it is sanitized or rejected.
Caveat Review release notes for potential breaking changes between your current version and 5.9.3, particularly regarding API changes, plugin compatibility, and agent communication protocols

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-6127 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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