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Threats / Cleo / CVE-2024-55956
CVE-2024-55956 · EUVD no mirror located · GCVE no mirror located Verified 2026-06-22

Cleo Multiple Products vulnerability

Cleo managed file transfer products contain an unrestricted file upload vulnerability allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands via the Autorun directory.

Verdict

Today item, not a backlog item.

An unauthenticated attacker can upload malicious bash or PowerShell scripts to a default Autorun directory, achieving remote code execution on the host system without authentication. This vulnerability is actively exploited in ransomware campaigns.

CISA KEV Yes · 2024-12-173Ransomware use Flagged3EPSS 0.93804 (verify live)4
01

Is it exploitable?

— the evidence, ranked above the score
Reported exploitation
43 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2024-12-17), flagged for known ransomware use.
CISA KEV ↗Confirmed
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.93804 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Cleo, Multiple Products. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
NVD ↗Reported
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-276 Incorrect Default Permissions — weakness family: Authorization / access control.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
NVD ↗Reported
WeaknessCWE-276 · Incorrect Default PermissionsAuthorization / access control
02

Who’s exploiting it?

— attribution turns risk into urgency
Attribution not established

No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.

03

Why it matters

— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board
1

Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1

Attacker
I upload a malicious script file to the Autorun directory without authentication.
Business
The organization's file transfer infrastructure is compromised without requiring valid credentials.
2

Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2

Attacker
I leverage default Autorun settings to execute my uploaded bash or PowerShell commands automatically.
Business
Arbitrary code runs with the privileges of the Cleo service, potentially system-level access.
3

Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3

Attacker
I establish persistent command execution and lateral movement within the network.
Business
Attackers gain foothold for ransomware deployment, data exfiltration, and infrastructure compromise.
04

What to do

— defensible action
  • Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05

Coverage & confidence

— what we know, and what we don’t

Established (cited)

  • KEV listing (CISA)
  • Ransomware-use flag (CISA)
  • EPSS probability (FIRST)
  • 43 reported-exploitation source(s)
  • CWE weakness mapping (NVD)
  • Catalogued by mitre (CNA)
  • Coverage gaps — stated, not hidden

  • No EUVD / GCVE mirror in feed — single-authority dependency for the identifier.
  • EPSS & exposure are time-varying; verify live at the source.
  • Threat-actor attribution not established from feed data — absence of a name is not absence of compromise.
  • No finder/reporter credit recorded in the public CVE entry — the work behind this find is unattributed.
  • Disclosure & credit2
    Catalogued by mitreCNA
    Credited with finding itNo finder named in the public CVE record — the work behind this find is unattributed.