Detect SimpleHelp Missing Authorization Vulnerability (CVE-2024-57726) in Microsoft Sentinel
CVE-2024-57726 is a missing authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) in SimpleHelp remote support software versions 5.5.7 and earlier. This CISA KEV-listed vulnerability allows unauthenticated or low-privileged attackers to bypass authorization controls, potentially enabling unauthorized access to administrative functions, file system traversal, or remote code execution on systems running the SimpleHelp server. Active exploitation has been observed in the wild.
MITRE ATT&CK
KQL Detection Query
union DeviceNetworkEvents, DeviceProcessEvents, DeviceFileEvents
| where TimeGenerated > ago(7d)
| where (
(ActionType in ("NetworkConnectionSuccess", "InboundConnectionAccepted") and RemotePort in (80, 443, 5850, 5900) and InitiatingProcessFileName has_any ("jetty", "java", "SimpleHelp"))
or (FileName has_any ("SimpleHelp", "simplehelp") and FolderPath has_any ("server", "remote"))
or (ProcessCommandLine has_any ("SimpleHelp", "/api/", "simplehelp") and ActionType == "ProcessCreated")
)
| extend SuspiciousIndicator = case(
RemotePort in (5850, 5900), "Non-standard SimpleHelp port",
ProcessCommandLine has "/admin" and not InitiatingProcessAccountName has_any ("SYSTEM", "Administrator"), "Unauthorized admin path access",
"General SimpleHelp activity"
)
| project TimeGenerated, DeviceName, AccountName, ActionType, RemoteIP, RemotePort, FileName, ProcessCommandLine, SuspiciousIndicator
| order by TimeGenerated descDetects potential exploitation of CVE-2024-57726 by monitoring for unauthorized access patterns to SimpleHelp server endpoints, anomalous process activity from the SimpleHelp service, and suspicious network connections on known SimpleHelp ports.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- Legitimate SimpleHelp administrators accessing the management interface
- Authorized IT support staff using SimpleHelp remote access features
- Security scanning tools performing authorized vulnerability assessments against SimpleHelp
- SimpleHelp update processes spawning Java child processes during patching
Other platforms for CVE-2024-57726
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 4 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1Unauthenticated SimpleHelp Admin Endpoint Access
Expected signal: Web server access logs will show HTTP GET/POST requests to /admin or /api/ paths from the test IP with no Authorization header or session cookie. If vulnerable, HTTP 200 response codes will be logged. Network monitoring will show connections to the SimpleHelp service port from the test host.
- Test 2SimpleHelp Operator Privilege Escalation via Missing Auth
Expected signal: Windows: PowerShell Script Block Logging (Event ID 4104) will capture the Invoke-WebRequest calls. Network: HTTP requests to /api/admin/* endpoints will appear in SimpleHelp access logs. Sysmon Event ID 3 will log network connections from powershell.exe to the SimpleHelp host.
- Test 3Post-Exploitation Command Execution via SimpleHelp Remote Session
Expected signal: Linux: auditd will log bash process creation with the reconnaissance commands (execve syscalls). Syslog will record the command execution. On the SimpleHelp server, session logs will show a remote session connection from an unrecognized IP with commands executed. Network telemetry will show the SimpleHelp client-server communication pattern.
- Test 4SimpleHelp Configuration Exfiltration via Unauthorized API Access
Expected signal: Web server logs on the SimpleHelp host will record sequential GET requests to multiple API endpoints from the same source IP within a short timeframe — a pattern indicative of automated enumeration. Network monitoring will show the HTTP request/response pairs. If SimpleHelp logs API access, entries without authentication context will appear.
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