Paxton Net2 API License Bypass

CloudAware Security Advisory

CVE-2024-48939: Unauthorized enabling of API in Paxton Net2 software

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Summary
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Bypass of Paxton Net2 API license. Possible leaking of PII and access to
admin functionality.
No physical access to computer running Paxton Net2 is required.

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Product
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• Paxton Net2 (version < 6.07.14023.5015 (SR4))

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Detailed description
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Paxton Net2 software offers an API. This API offers the user access to
sensitive data such as access logs and other
user data.[2]
In order to enable the API a license file is needed. The license file is
trivial to generate as demonstrated in POC in ref [1].
This is possible while the signature checks in the Net2 software were
not functional for the license file.
Additionally to the license file user credentials are needed to
authenticate against the API.
The vendor has fixed this in version 6.07.14023.5015 (SR4) of the Net2
software.

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Solution
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Upgrade Paxton Net2 to version 6.07.14023.5015 (SR4)

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Mitigation
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1. If an upgrade is not an option - as `anyone’ can create valid license
   files; ensure that the filesystem of
   computers running Paxton Net2 are not reachable by unauthorised entities.
2. Evaluate the impact of the disclosure of any configurations rolled
   out prior to these mitigation steps

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Weblinks
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[1] https://github.com/gitaware/poc_exploit_paxton_license
[2]
https://www.paxton-access.com/integrating-with-paxton/how-to-integrate-with-net2/integration-capability-matrix/

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History
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Feb 26, 2024: Paxton informed about working POC
Feb 29, 2024: Paxton confirms working POC
<Sept 2024: Paxton releases software update to fix issue
Oct 10, 2024: CVE-2024-48939 issued