CVE-2023-38035 is a critical vulnerability affecting Ivanti MobileIron Sentry versions 9.18.0 and below, specifically within the MICS Admin Portal. The root cause is an insufficiently restrictive configuration of the Apache HTTPD server that hosts the administrative interface. This misconfiguration allows an attacker to bypass authentication controls entirely, granting unauthorized access to the administrative functions of MobileIron Sentry. MobileIron Sentry is a critical component used for mobile device management (MDM), enabling organizations to enforce security policies, manage devices, and control access to corporate resources. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization), highlighting that the system fails to properly enforce access controls. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 reflects that the attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a high degree (C:H/I:H/A:H). This means an unauthenticated attacker can remotely exploit this flaw to gain full administrative control, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, manipulation, or disruption of mobile device management services. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the critical severity and ease of exploitation make this a high-priority threat. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed in August 2023, and no official patches were linked in the provided information, indicating that organizations must seek vendor updates or implement compensating controls promptly.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-38035 is significant due to the critical role MobileIron Sentry plays in managing mobile devices and enforcing security policies. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to bypass authentication and gain administrative access, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data, manipulation or deletion of device policies, and potential lateral movement within the network. This could result in data breaches, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), operational disruptions, and reputational damage. Organizations in sectors with high mobile device usage, such as finance, healthcare, and government, face elevated risks. The ability to control mobile endpoints could also facilitate the deployment of malware or ransomware, further amplifying the threat. Given the network-exploitable nature and lack of required privileges, the vulnerability poses a broad risk to any European entity using vulnerable versions of MobileIron Sentry.

1. Immediately restrict network access to the MICS Admin Portal by implementing IP whitelisting, VPN-only access, or network segmentation to limit exposure. 2. Contact Ivanti support to obtain and apply the latest patches or updates addressing CVE-2023-38035 as soon as they become available. 3. If patches are not yet available, consider disabling or isolating the MICS Admin Portal until a fix is applied. 4. Conduct thorough audits of access logs and monitor for any unauthorized or suspicious administrative access attempts. 5. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) on administrative interfaces where possible to add an additional security layer. 6. Review and harden Apache HTTPD configurations to enforce strict access controls and authentication requirements. 7. Educate IT and security teams about this vulnerability to ensure rapid detection and response. 8. Integrate this vulnerability into vulnerability management and incident response workflows to maintain ongoing vigilance.