CVE-2003-1449 in eSafe Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Aladdin Knowlege Systems eSafe Gateway 3.5.126.0 does not check the entire stream of Content Vectoring Protocol (CVP) data, which allows remote attackers to bypass virus protection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-1449 affects the Aladdin Knowledge Systems eSafe Gateway version 3.5.126.0, representing a critical flaw in network security infrastructure designed to protect against malicious content. This vulnerability resides within the Content Vectoring Protocol (CVP) processing mechanism, which is responsible for analyzing and filtering data streams to prevent virus transmission. The issue stems from incomplete validation of CVP data streams, creating a significant security gap that adversaries can exploit to circumvent the intended protection measures.
The technical flaw manifests in the gateway's failure to thoroughly examine all components of the CVP data stream during the scanning process. When processing incoming network traffic, the system only validates portions of the data rather than performing comprehensive analysis of the entire stream. This partial validation allows malicious actors to craft specially formatted CVP data that contains hidden malicious content within sections that are not properly inspected. The vulnerability specifically relates to insufficient input validation and data processing controls that should have been implemented to ensure complete examination of all transmitted data.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a substantial risk for organizations relying on the eSafe Gateway for network security. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to deliver malware or malicious code that would otherwise be detected by the system's normal scanning procedures. The bypass capability means that security administrators may believe their network is protected when in reality malicious content can flow through undetected. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental purpose of the security gateway and could lead to data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized access to sensitive network resources.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation. Organizations utilizing this specific version of the eSafe Gateway face significant exposure to advanced persistent threats and targeted attacks that exploit this validation gap. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in the security architecture's defense-in-depth principles, where a single point of failure in data validation can compromise the entire protection framework.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of vendor-provided patches or updates that address the incomplete CVP stream validation. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include deploying intrusion detection systems with signatures specific to this vulnerability, implementing network segmentation to limit the impact of potential breaches, and conducting thorough security assessments of all network security appliances. Regular vulnerability assessments and security updates remain essential to maintaining protection against similar flaws in security infrastructure components.