SUMMARY

Symantec Web Gateway (SWG) Appliance management console is susceptible to both local and remote access cross-site scripting (XSS) and local access SQL injection (sqli) vulnerabilities.  Successful exploitation may result in an authorized user gaining unauthorized access to files on the management console or possibility being able to manipulate the backend data base.  There is also potential for remote hijacking of an authorized user session with associated privileges.

AFFECTED PRODUCTS

NOTE:  Customers should always ensure they are running the latest data base updates available

ISSUES

MITIGATION

Details

Symantec was notified of security issues impacting the Symantec Web Gateway management console. The results of successful exploitation could potentially range from a user with authorized access to the management console gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data or another user’s account to unauthorized manipulation of the backend application database.

Local access SQL injection issues were identified allowing an authenticated Symantec Web Gateway user to make unauthorized database queries.  Successful targeting could potentially result in unauthorized disclosure of privileged information and/or possible unauthorized manipulation of the backend database.

Symantec Web Gateway in certain cases does not properly validate/sanitize external input allowing the potential of cross-site scripting attempts by both authorized but non-privileged and in some instances unauthorized individuals.   Successful targeting of these issues could result in unauthorized access by an authorized but unprivileged user or potentially allowing an unauthorized individual to hijack an authorized Symantec Web Gateway user session with associated privileges.

Symantec Response

Symantec engineers validated these submissions, having also identified these types of issues during internal testing.  An updated Symantec Web Gateway version, 5.2, has been released to address them. Symantec Web Gateway 5.2 is currently available to customers through normal support locations.  Symantec is not aware of exploitation of or adverse customer impact from this issue.

Customers should ensure they are on the latest release of Symantec Web Gateway 5.2 and running the latest data base update. To confirm customers are running the latest updates check the “Current Software Version -> Current Version” on the Administration->Updates page.  Alternatively, customers can click the “Check for Updates” button on the Administration->Updates page to verify that they are running the latest software version.

Best Practices

As part of normal best practices, Symantec strongly recommends:

• Restrict access to administration or management systems to privileged users.
• Disable remote access if not required or restrict it to trusted/authorized systems only.
• Where possible, limit exposure of application and web interfaces to trusted/internal networks only.
• Keep all operating systems and applications updated with the latest vendor patches.
• The Symantec Web Gateway software and any applications that are installed on the Symantec Web Gateway can ONLY be updated with authorized and tested versions distributed by Symantec.
• Follow a multi-layered approach to security. Run both firewall and anti-malware applications, at a minimum, to provide multiple points of detection and protection to both inbound and outbound threats.
• Deploy network and host-based intrusion detection systems to monitor network traffic for signs of anomalous or suspicious activity. This may aid in detection of attacks or malicious activity related to exploitation of latent vulnerabilities

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Symantec thanks Shaun Bertrand, Creative Breakthroughs Inc, for reporting the local access XSS and SQLi issues; Comrade Polar Bear for reporting an unauthenticated XSS issue; and William Costa,[email protected], for reporting an unauthenticated XSS issue.  Symantec thanks all of them for working with us as we resolved their findings.

REFERENCES

BID: Security Focus, http://www.securityfocus.com, has assigned Bugtraq IDs (BIDs) to these issues for inclusion in the Security Focus vulnerability database.

CVE: These issues are candidates for inclusion in the CVE list (http://cve.mitre.org), which standardizes names for security problems.