# CVE-2024-51448: IBM Robotic Process Automation privilege escalation

> A local attacker can escalate privileges by replacing the nssm.exe service binary due to insecure file permissions inherited from the parent directory.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Jan 2025
- **Updated:** 21 Jan 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6pxp-6h5g-5389

## What is CVE-2024-51448?

CVE-2024-51448 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Robotic Process Automation, published on 18 Jan 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Robotic Process Automation 21.0.0 through 21.0.7.17 and 23.0.0 through 23.0.18 could allow a local user to escalate their privileges. All files in the install inherit the file permissions of the parent directory and therefore a non-privileged user can substitute any executable for the nssm.exe service. A subsequent service or server restart will then run that binary with administrator privilege.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource), CWE-277 (Insecure Inherited Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-51448?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Robotic Process Automation.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-51448?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-51448 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-51448 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-51448 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Robotic Process Automation

- [CVE-2022-30616](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-30616/): Privilege escalation in Robotic Process Automation (high 8.0)
- [CVE-2022-43574](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-43574/): Missing authorization in IBM Robotic Process Automation (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2023-38734](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38734/): IBM Robotic Process Automation privilege escalation (medium 6.6)
- [CVE-2024-49824](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-49824/): IBM Robotic Process Automation security bypass (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2022-36774](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-36774/): Security feature bypass in Robotic Process Automation (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-51448 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-51448 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Robotic Process Automation, published on 18 Jan 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-51448 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Robotic Process Automation. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-51448/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-51448/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-51448
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-51448
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-51448

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-51448/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.