CVE-2024-1222
Published: 14 March 2024
Summary
CVE-2024-1222 is a high-severity Execution with Unnecessary Privileges (CWE-250) vulnerability in Papercut Papercut Mf. Its CVSS base score is 8.6 (High).
Operationally, ranked in the top 15.1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis
CVE-2024-1222 is an improper authorization vulnerability affecting a small subset of API calls in PaperCut NG/MF. Attackers can submit a maliciously formed API request to obtain an elevated authorization level, resulting in a CVSS 8.6 score driven by network attack vector, low complexity, and no required authentication or user interaction.
Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit the flaw to access sensitive data with high confidentiality impact while also achieving limited integrity and availability effects on the affected PaperCut deployment.
The vendor published a security bulletin at https://www.papercut.com/kb/Main/Security-Bulletin-March-2024 detailing the issue. Exploitation probability rose materially from a low baseline to a peak of 0.1528 on 2025-12-11 before receding to the current 0.0223, indicating post-disclosure attacker interest that warrants renewed attention.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-16989
Vulnerability details
This allows attackers to use a maliciously formed API request to gain access to an API authorization level with elevated privileges. This applies to a small subset of PaperCut NG/MF API calls.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Policy promotes least privilege by defining necessary privileges and management commitment to them.
Supervision detects and allows removal of unnecessary privileges that enable execution with excess rights.
Reviewing accounts for compliance, disabling/removing unneeded accounts, and aligning with termination processes prevents execution with unnecessary privileges.
Separation of duties prevents any single user from holding all privileges needed to complete a critical task, directly reducing execution with unnecessary privileges.
Directly prevents execution with more privileges than needed for assigned tasks.
Role-based training on least privilege principles reduces the chance personnel assign or retain unnecessary privileges.
Analysis of audit records can identify execution with unnecessary privileges through unusual activity patterns.
Automatic termination after a defined period eliminates unnecessary privileges from persistent connections.