Infiltrating Defenses: Abusing VMware in MITRE’s Cyber Intrusion
Adversary compromised MITRE’s prototypingnetwork through a pair of zero-day vulnerabilities in Ivanti Connect Secure (CVE-2023–46805 & CVE-2024–21887)
CVE-2023-46805 KEVRansomwarePublic exploit High · 8.2 EPSS >99.9%
Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
Ivanti · Connect Secure and Policy Secure
Summary
An authentication bypass flaw in the web component of Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure, affecting Ivanti ICS 9.x and 22.x and Ivanti Policy Secure, lets a remote attacker reach restricted resources by getting past access control checks. The attacker needs only network access to the affected web interface, with no authentication and no user interaction required.
Official description · NVD
An authentication bypass vulnerability in the web component of Ivanti ICS 9.x, 22.x and Ivanti Policy Secure allows a remote attacker to access restricted resources by bypassing control checks.
Priority scorePatchfirst’s 0 to 100 ranking. It adds points for CISA KEV listing, ransomware use, EPSS, threat reports, public exploit code and CVSS. Every CVE page shows the breakdown. Breakdown
87.7 / 100
- Exploited
- Yes, in CISA KEV
- Reports
- 4
- Tactics
- 5/15
How an attack unfolds
Based on MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. mappings. Select a step to see the evidence.Exploitation timelineDated milestones for a CVE: when it was disclosed, when exploit code became public, when exploitation was confirmed, and when threat reports named it.
First seen exploited 2 days before it was disclosed. Public exploit code (Metasploit) was available 2 days before disclosure.
- First seen exploitedVulnCheck KEV evidenceAdded to CISA KEVknown ransomware use; EU database agreesPublic exploit codeMetasploitFirst dated threat reportvolexity.com2 days before
- Disclosedday 0
CISA KEV listing is when exploitation was confirmed, not necessarily the first attack.
MITRE ATT&CKA public catalogue of the techniques attackers use, maintained by MITRE. Patchfirst uses it to describe what attackers do with a vulnerability. techniques
4 TechniqueOne specific attacker behaviour in MITRE ATT&CK, such as T1190 “Exploit Public-Facing Application”. IDs with a dot, like T1059.004, are sub-techniques., grouped by TacticThe attacker’s goal at a stage of an attack in MITRE ATT&CK, such as Initial Access or Persistence. Each technique belongs to one or more tactics. in kill-chain order, 1 cited passage 4Initial AccessTA0001
MITRE CTID mapping of the KEV entry · primary impact
This vulnerability is exploited through an authentication bypass weakness in the web component of Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure. Remote attackers leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access by bypassing control checks.
MITRE CTID mapping of the KEV entry · how it is exploited
PersistenceTA0003
Web Shell T1505.003
MITRE CTID mapping of the KEV entry · follow-on activity
Following the successful exploitation of CVE-2023-46805 (authentication bypass) and CVE-2024-21887 (command injection), UNC5221 leveraged multiple custom malware families including the ZIPLINE passive backdoor, THINSPOOL dropper, LIGHTWIRE web shell, and WARPWIRE credential harvester.
Credential AccessTA0006
MITRE CTID mapping of the KEV entry · follow-on activity
Detection
0 rules for this CVE · 248 general rules for its techniquesRules for this CVE
0Sigma ruleAn open, vendor-neutral detection rule for log data. Security teams convert Sigma rules into searches for their own SIEM. that reference CVE-2023-46805 directly.CVE-specific rules are not available in this build. Search SigmaHQ ↗
General rules for this CVE’s techniques
These detect the technique in general, not this specific vulnerability.
Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationT1190149 general rules
- Arcadyan Router Exploitationscriticaltest
- Citrix ADS Exploitation CVE-2020-8193 CVE-2020-8195criticaltest
- Citrix Netscaler Attack CVE-2019-19781criticaltest
- Confluence Exploitation CVE-2019-3398criticaltest
- CVE-2010-5278 Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
- CVE-2020-0688 Exchange Exploitation via Web Logcriticaltest
- CVE-2020-10148 SolarWinds Orion API Auth Bypasscriticaltest
- CVE-2020-5902 F5 BIG-IP Exploitation Attemptcriticaltest
Valid AccountsT107856 general rules
- Win Susp Computer Name Containing Samtheadmincriticaltest
- Account Created And Deleted Within A Close Time Framehightest
- Activity From Anonymous IP Addresshightest
- Atypical Travelhightest
- Azure AD Threat Intelligencehightest
- Azure Subscription Permission Elevation Via AuditLogshightest
- External Remote SMB Logon from Public IPhightest
- Impossible Travelhightest
Web ShellT1505.00335 general rules
- Certificate Request Export to Exchange Webservercriticaltest
- CVE-2021-40539 Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus Exploitcriticaltest
- Mailbox Export to Exchange Webservercriticaltest
- Oracle WebLogic Exploitcriticaltest
- Solarwinds SUPERNOVA Webshell Accesscriticaltest
- Webshell Remote Command Executioncriticaltest
- WordPress Wp2shell Webshell Plugin Accesscriticalexperimental
- Antivirus - Web Shell Detection Signaturehightest
Credentials from Password StoresT15558 general rules
- HackTool - SecurityXploded Executioncriticalstable
- DPAPI Backup Keys And Certificate Export Activity IOChightest
- HackTool - WinPwn Executionhightest
- HackTool - WinPwn Execution - ScriptBlockhightest
- Suspicious Serv-U Process Patternhightest
- Dump Credentials from Windows Credential Manager With PowerShellmediumtest
- Enumerate Credentials from Windows Credential Manager With PowerShellmediumtest
- PUA - AWS TruffleHog Executionmediumexperimental
Sigma rules © SigmaHQ, Detection Rule License 1.1; linked, not reproduced.
What security researchers reported
Named in 4 threat reports4 reportsctid.mitre.orgVolexityCISA+1Jan 2024 – May 2024 · 2 undated
Reports are matched by finding the exact id CVE-2023-46805 in their text; nobody has reviewed the match. One passage is shown per report, at most 320 characters, linked to the original.
Active Exploitation of Two Zero-Day Vulnerabilities in Ivanti Connect Secure VPN
Mentions the CVE; no further detail.
Countering Chinese State-Sponsored Actors Compromise of Networks Worldwide to Feed Global Espionage System
CVE-2024-21887 - Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure web-component command injection vulnerability, commonly chained after CVE-2023-46805 (authentication bypass)
Ivanti Connect Secure VPN Targeted in New Zero-Day Exploitation
Following the successful exploitation of CVE-2023-46805 (authentication bypass) and CVE-2024-21887 (command injection), UNC5221 leveraged multiple custom malware families including the ZIPLINE passive backdoor, THINSPOOL dropper, LIGHTWIRE web shell, and WARPWIRE credential harvester.
4 passages name itOriginal (opens in a new tab) ↗
Also mentioned in 50 community threat pulses (AlienVault OTX)
Weaker evidencePulses are indicator collections that anyone can publish. A mention is not confirmation of exploitation.
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 30, 202629 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 202628 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 202627 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 202626 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 202623 Oct 2026
- Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 202622 Oct 2026
- 44 more on OTX