CVE-2024-50603 is a critical OS command injection vulnerability affecting Aviatrix Controller versions before 7.1.4191 and 7.2.x before 7.2.4996. The root cause is improper neutralization of special shell metacharacters in user-supplied input parameters 'cloud_type' for the 'list_flightpath_destination_instances' API and 'src_cloud_type' for the 'flightpath_connection_test' API endpoints. Because these inputs are passed directly to OS commands without adequate sanitization, an unauthenticated attacker can inject arbitrary shell commands. This leads to remote code execution with the privileges of the controller process, potentially allowing full system compromise. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without authentication or user interaction, making it highly dangerous. The CVSS v3.1 score is 10.0, reflecting critical impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and the scope is changed as the vulnerability can affect other components or systems managed by the controller. Aviatrix Controller is widely used for cloud network orchestration and security in multi-cloud environments, making this vulnerability particularly impactful. Although no public exploits are known yet, the vulnerability's nature and ease of exploitation make it a prime target for attackers. The lack of available patches at the time of disclosure increases the urgency for temporary mitigations and monitoring.

For European organizations, exploitation of CVE-2024-50603 could lead to complete compromise of cloud network management infrastructure, resulting in unauthorized access to sensitive cloud environments, data exfiltration, disruption of network connectivity, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks. Given Aviatrix Controller’s role in orchestrating multi-cloud connectivity, attackers could manipulate or disrupt critical business services relying on cloud infrastructure. This could impact confidentiality of corporate and customer data, integrity of network configurations, and availability of cloud services. Organizations in sectors with high cloud adoption such as finance, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure are particularly at risk. The ability to exploit this vulnerability without authentication increases the likelihood of widespread attacks. The potential for cascading effects across interconnected cloud environments could amplify the damage. Additionally, regulatory compliance risks arise from potential data breaches and service outages.

Immediate mitigation steps include restricting access to the Aviatrix Controller API endpoints to trusted networks and IP addresses only, using network-level controls such as firewalls and VPNs. Implement strict monitoring and alerting for unusual API requests containing suspicious characters or patterns indicative of command injection attempts. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block injection payloads targeting the vulnerable parameters. Disable or limit the use of the affected API endpoints if feasible until patches are available. Conduct thorough audits of controller logs to identify any attempted exploitation. Coordinate with Aviatrix for timely patch deployment once updates are released. In the interim, consider isolating the controller in segmented network zones to reduce exposure. Educate security teams about the vulnerability’s indicators and ensure incident response plans include this threat scenario. Finally, review and harden overall cloud orchestration security posture to minimize attack surface.