CVE-2024-28825

What it actually does

The flaw permits unlimited authentication attempts on select methods without rate limiting or account lockout, enabling automated password guessing against user accounts.

Why it matters to the business

Successful brute-force attacks can lead to unauthorized access to monitoring consoles, exposing infrastructure details and enabling lateral movement or data theft.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker locates a Checkmk instance and focuses on authentication endpoints lacking brute-force protections, then uses automated tools to submit repeated credential guesses until a valid password is found.

How to fix it

Upgrade Checkmk installations to version 2.3.0b5 (or newer), 2.2.0p26 (or newer), or 2.1.0p43 (or newer). Migrate any remaining 2.0.0 deployments to a supported release.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the running version meets or exceeds the listed fixed releases and verify that authentication endpoints now enforce attempt limits or temporary lockouts.

Typical attack path

1. Scan for publicly reachable Checkmk web interfaces
2. Identify authentication methods without attempt restrictions
3. Deploy automated password spraying or brute-force tooling
4. Capture valid credentials on successful authentication

How to detect it

Examine web server and application logs for unusually high numbers of authentication failures originating from the same IP addresses against Checkmk login endpoints.

What your security team should do

• Apply the recommended version upgrades without delay
• Add network-level rate limiting or web application firewall rules around authentication paths
• Enforce strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication where supported
• Increase monitoring of authentication failure logs