CVE-2024-20720 is an OS command injection vulnerability identified in Adobe Commerce, a widely used e-commerce platform. The flaw stems from improper neutralization of special characters in OS commands, classified under CWE-78, which allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. Affected versions include 2.4.6-p3, 2.4.5-p5, 2.4.4-p6, and earlier releases. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have high privileges (PR:H) but does not require any user interaction (UI:N), making it particularly dangerous in environments where privileged access is attainable. The CVSS v3.1 score of 9.1 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability, with impacts spanning confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). Exploitation could lead to full system compromise, data theft, service disruption, or deployment of further malware. Although no exploits are publicly known yet, the vulnerability's nature and Adobe Commerce's widespread use in online retail make it a high-value target for attackers. The vulnerability affects the core of Adobe Commerce, meaning that any installation running the affected versions is at risk until patched or mitigated.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-20720 can be severe. Adobe Commerce is a popular e-commerce platform used by many retailers and businesses across Europe, handling sensitive customer data and payment information. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to personal and financial data, violating GDPR and other data protection regulations, resulting in legal penalties and reputational damage. The ability to execute arbitrary OS commands could allow attackers to disrupt business operations by defacing websites, stealing intellectual property, or deploying ransomware. Given the criticality and ease of exploitation (no user interaction needed), organizations face risks of prolonged downtime and significant financial losses. The threat is particularly acute for large-scale retailers and service providers who rely heavily on Adobe Commerce for their online sales infrastructure.

Organizations should immediately verify their Adobe Commerce version and apply any available security patches from Adobe as soon as they are released. Since no patch links are currently provided, monitoring Adobe’s official security advisories is essential. In the interim, restrict access to Adobe Commerce administrative interfaces to trusted IP addresses and enforce strict privilege management to limit high-privilege user accounts. Implement Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious command injection patterns. Conduct thorough logging and monitoring of system commands and user activities to detect potential exploitation attempts early. Regularly audit and harden server configurations hosting Adobe Commerce, including disabling unnecessary OS command execution capabilities where feasible. Additionally, organizations should prepare incident response plans specific to e-commerce platform compromises and ensure backups are current and tested for recovery.