CVE-2024-20508Network attack vector

Policy bypass or traffic loss via malformed HTTP

Published Sep 25, 2024 · Updated Nov 12, 2024

Improper HTTP request validation in Cisco UTD Snort IPS Engine Software allows remote attackers to reload the Snort process. The engine insufficiently validates crafted HTTP requests as they pass through an affected device, allowing malformed input to restart its Snort process. Web Filtering or Multi-Tenancy must be enabled; fail-open permits policy bypass after reload, while fail-close drops inspected traffic.

CVSS severity5.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.42%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper HTTP request validation in Cisco UTD Snort IPS Engine Software allows remote attackers to reload the Snort process. The engine insufficiently validates crafted HTTP requests as they pass through an affected device, allowing malformed input to restart its Snort process. Web Filtering or Multi-Tenancy must be enabled; fail-open permits policy bypass after reload, while fail-close drops inspected traffic.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-20508
Published
Sep 25, 2024
Updated
Nov 12, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco UTD Snort IPS Engine Software
Classifications
CWE-122, T1562.001
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 25, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 12, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=17.11.1a
  2. Affected versionversion=17.12.1a
  3. Affected versionversion=17.12.2
  4. Affected versionversion=17.12.3
  5. Affected versionversion=17.12.3a
  6. Affected versionversion=17.12.4
  7. Affected versionversion=17.13.1a
  8. Affected versionversion=17.14.1a
  9. Affected versionversion=17.15.1a
  10. Affected versionversion=17.6.1a
  11. Affected versionversion=17.6.2
  12. Affected versionversion=17.6.6
  13. Affected versionversion=17.7.1a
  14. Affected versionversion=17.7.2
  15. Affected versionversion=17.8.1a
  16. Affected versionversion=17.9.5a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco UTD Snort IPS Engine Softwareversion=17.11.1a; version=17.12.1a; version=17.12.2; version=17.12.3; version=17.12.3a; version=17.12.4; version=17.13.1a; version=17.14.1a; version=17.15.1a; version=17.6.1a; version=17.6.2; version=17.6.6; version=17.7.1a; version=17.7.2; version=17.8.1a; version=17.9.5a

Published CVSS scores

6.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L
5.8Cisco Systems, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N/E:X/RL:X/RC:X

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-122Heap-based Buffer Overflow
T1562.001Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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