IMMEDIATE ACTION: Check Point Quantum Gateway Flaw (CVE-2024-24919) Allows Mass Information Disclosure and Network Pivot

 

 

By CyberDudeBivash • September 30, 2025, 02:32 AM IST • Critical Vulnerability Alert

 

A widespread and actively exploited vulnerability in Check Point Quantum Security Gateways, **CVE-2024-24919**, is enabling attackers to steal the keys to the kingdom and walk through the front door of corporate networks. This critical information disclosure flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files from vulnerable gateways. Threat actors are systematically targeting these devices to steal hashed passwords of local users. Once stolen, these hashes are cracked offline, and the resulting credentials are used to log directly into corporate Remote Access VPNs. This is a devastatingly effective attack chain that turns a trusted perimeter defense into the primary vector for a full-scale network breach. Check Point has released an emergency hotfix, and immediate action is required to patch systems and mitigate the significant risk of compromise.

 

Disclosure: This is a technical threat report for network security professionals, SOC teams, and IT leaders. It contains our full suite of affiliate links to best-in-class solutions for a holistic security posture. Your support helps fund our independent research.

 

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• YubiKey (Hardware MFA) — The ultimate defense. Even if attackers steal the password, they can't get past a physical security key.
   
• Kaspersky Endpoint Security — Detect the attacker's activity on your endpoints *after* they get in through the VPN. This is your last line of defense.
   
• Edureka Cybersecurity Training — Upskill your teams in incident response and modern identity management to combat advanced threats.
 

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  Threat Report: Table of Contents  

   
1. Chapter 1: Threat Analysis - How the Information Disclosure Works
   
2. Chapter 2: The Kill Chain - From File Read to Network Pivot
   
3. Chapter 3: The Defender's Playbook - A Guide for Network Security Teams
   
4. Chapter 4: The Strategic Response - The End of Password-Only VPNs
   
5. Chapter 5: Extended FAQ on Gateway Security Hardening
 

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Chapter 1: Threat Analysis - How the Information Disclosure Works

The core of CVE-2024-24919 is a **Path Traversal** vulnerability. The web server running on the Check Point gateway, particularly for the Remote Access or Mobile Access portals, fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input in certain HTTP requests.

The Technical Mechanism

An unauthenticated attacker can send a crafted HTTP request containing "dot-dot-slash" (`../`) sequences. This tricks the web server into navigating outside of its intended root directory and accessing arbitrary files on the gateway's underlying operating system. Attackers have weaponized this to specifically request and download files known to contain user credentials and password hashes, most notably `/etc/passwd`. While the hashes in modern systems are typically strong, they are not unbreakable when subjected to a determined offline cracking effort.

The vulnerability is simple to exploit and requires no special privileges, making it perfect for mass scanning and automated attacks. Any vulnerable gateway with its VPN portal exposed to the internet is a prime target.

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Chapter 2: The Kill Chain - From File Read to Network Pivot

The attack chain is ruthlessly efficient and focuses on abusing credentials.

   
1. **Scanning:** Threat actors are actively scanning the internet for Check Point gateways, identifiable by their web banners and SSL certificates.
   
2. **Information Disclosure:** The attacker uses the CVE-2024-24919 exploit to send requests like `GET /..%2f..%2f..%2f..%2fetc/passwd` to download the user file.
   
3. **Offline Password Cracking:** The stolen file, containing usernames and their hashed passwords, is taken offline. Attackers use powerful GPU clusters and rainbow tables to crack the hashes and recover the plaintext passwords. Weak or common passwords can be cracked in minutes or hours.
   
4. **Credential Stuffing & Initial Access:** With a list of valid username/password pairs, the attacker attempts to log into the gateway's Remote Access VPN portal. Since they are using legitimate credentials, this login is often successful if password-only authentication is enabled.
   
5. **Network Pivot & Objective:** Once connected to the VPN, the attacker has a trusted IP address on the internal corporate network. From here, they begin internal reconnaissance, lateral movement, and work towards their final objective, whether it's data exfiltration, espionage, or deploying ransomware.

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Chapter 3: The Defender's Playbook - A Guide for Network Security Teams

You must act on three fronts simultaneously: patch the flaw, remediate the potential credential compromise, and hunt for intruders.

For Corporate SOCs and Network Security Teams

   
1. APPLY THE HOTFIX:** This is the absolute priority. Download and install the hotfix provided by Check Point for your specific gateway model and software version. This closes the information disclosure vector.
   
2. RESET ALL LOCAL PASSWORDS:** Because you must assume that your gateway's user hashes have been stolen, all passwords for local accounts on the device must be immediately changed to new, strong, and unique values.
   
3. ENFORCE PHISHING-RESISTANT MFA FOR VPN:** This is the single most effective defense against this attack chain. Even if the attacker has the correct password, they cannot complete the login without the physical MFA token. This stops the network pivot cold.
4. HUNT FOR COMPROMISE:** Analyze your web server access logs on the gateway for requests containing `../` sequences. Scrutinize VPN authentication logs for successful logins from unusual geographic locations, multiple failed logins followed by a success, or logins for accounts that are rarely used.

  CyberDudeBivash's Recommended Mitigation Stack:
 

Defeat the credential abuse attack chain with the right tools.

 

   
• The Un-hackable Login (YubiKey):** The **YubiKey** provides phishing-resistant MFA. It is the gold standard for securing VPN access. An attacker with a stolen password simply cannot get past it. If you do one thing, do this.
• Post-Breach Detection (Kaspersky EDR):** Assume an attacker is already in. An EDR solution like **Kaspersky Endpoint Security** is essential to detect the attacker's internal reconnaissance and lateral movement activities after they connect to the VPN.
 

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Chapter 4: The Strategic Response - The End of Password-Only VPNs

This incident should be the final nail in the coffin for password-only authentication on any internet-facing system, especially VPNs. Passwords, even when hashed, are a fragile defense mechanism. The ease with which they can be stolen and cracked makes them an unacceptable single point of failure for network perimeter access.

Organizations must treat this as a strategic inflection point to accelerate the adoption of modern authentication. The goal should be to move towards a passwordless future, but the immediate, achievable step is to enforce strong, phishing-resistant MFA on every critical service. This is no longer a "best practice"; it is a fundamental requirement for survival in the current threat landscape.

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Chapter 5: Extended FAQ on Gateway Security Hardening

Q: We use Active Directory/LDAP accounts for our VPN, not local accounts on the gateway. Are we safe?
A: You are at a significantly lower risk from the primary attack chain, but you are not completely safe. The vulnerability allows an attacker to read *any* file on the system. This could include cached configuration files, diagnostic logs, or other sensitive data that might aid in a different type of attack. The official guidance is to apply the hotfix to all vulnerable systems, regardless of the authentication backend, to fully close the information disclosure flaw. The best defense against this type of malware is a modern EDR solution. See our Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best EDR to learn more.

   

       

About the Author

       

CyberDudeBivash is a cybersecurity strategist and researcher with over 15 years of experience in network security, threat intelligence, and identity and access management. He provides strategic advisory services to CISOs and boards across the APAC region. [Last Updated: September 30, 2025]

   

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