CVE-2024-47176 is a vulnerability in the cups-browsed component of the CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System), an open-source printing system widely used on Linux and UNIX-like operating systems. The root cause is that cups-browsed binds its network service to INADDR_ANY on port 631, meaning it listens on all network interfaces and accepts IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) requests from any source without restriction. This unrestricted binding allows an attacker to send crafted Get-Printer-Attributes IPP requests to the service, potentially directing it to attacker-controlled URLs. While this vulnerability alone causes information integrity issues, it becomes critical when chained with other vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-47076, CVE-2024-47175, CVE-2024-47177) that enable remote code execution. In such a scenario, an attacker can remotely execute arbitrary commands on the target system without requiring authentication or user interaction by exploiting the printing workflow with a malicious printer setup. The affected versions are cups-browsed up to 2.0.1. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting its network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the potential impact is significant given the ability to execute commands remotely. The vulnerability highlights the risks of binding critical services to all interfaces without proper access controls and the dangers of trusting network input in printing services.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate to high risk, especially in environments where CUPS and cups-browsed are deployed on servers or workstations connected to corporate networks. The ability for an unauthenticated attacker to send malicious IPP requests could lead to unauthorized command execution if combined with other vulnerabilities, potentially resulting in system compromise, data integrity loss, or lateral movement within the network. Organizations with extensive networked printing infrastructure, such as government agencies, educational institutions, and enterprises with Linux-based print servers, are particularly at risk. The impact includes potential disruption of printing services, unauthorized access to sensitive data, and the possibility of attackers establishing persistent footholds. Given the widespread use of CUPS in many European countries' IT environments, the vulnerability could affect critical infrastructure and business operations if exploited. The lack of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the risk remains significant due to the ease of exploitation and lack of authentication requirements.

1. Upgrade cups-browsed to a version later than 2.0.1 once patches become available from the OpenPrinting project or relevant Linux distributions. 2. Until patches are available, restrict network exposure of port 631 by firewalling or network segmentation to limit access to trusted hosts only. 3. Disable cups-browsed or the network printing service on systems where it is not required, especially on internet-facing or untrusted network segments. 4. Monitor network traffic for unusual IPP requests or connections to port 631 from untrusted sources. 5. Implement strict access control policies for printers and printing services, including authentication where possible. 6. Conduct vulnerability scanning and inventory to identify all systems running vulnerable cups-browsed versions. 7. Combine these mitigations with patching related vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-47076, CVE-2024-47175, CVE-2024-47177) to prevent chained exploitation. 8. Educate IT staff about the risks of network-exposed printing services and the importance of applying security updates promptly.