CVE-2004-1022 in WinRoute Firewall
Summary
by MITRE
kerio winroute firewall before 6.0.7 serverfirewall before 1.0.1 and mailserver before 6.0.5 use symmetric encryption for user passwords which allows attackers to decrypt the user database and obtain the passwords by extracting the secret key from within the software.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1022 represents a critical weakness in the Kerio WinRoute Firewall and related security products that persisted through multiple versions including server firewall 1.0.0 and mailserver 6.0.4. This flaw stems from the implementation of symmetric encryption for storing user passwords within the software's database, creating a fundamental security weakness that directly violates modern cryptographic best practices. The vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 6.0.7 for WinRoute Firewall, 1.0.1 for Server Firewall, and 6.0.5 for Mailserver, indicating a widespread issue across Kerio's security product line that required significant updates to address.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the use of symmetric encryption algorithms where the same key serves both for encrypting and decrypting user passwords stored in the database. This design choice creates a direct attack surface where an attacker who can extract the secret key from the software's memory or file system can easily decrypt all stored passwords. The flaw essentially transforms what should be a secure password storage mechanism into a trivially exploitable weakness, as the encryption key becomes the primary attack vector rather than the encryption algorithm itself. This approach violates the principle of defense in depth and represents a classic example of poor cryptographic implementation where the security of the entire system depends on keeping a single key secret.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, affecting organizations that relied on Kerio's security infrastructure for network protection and email services. Attackers who successfully extract the encryption key can immediately access all user accounts within the compromised system, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data, email communications, and network resources. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where Kerio products were deployed as primary security controls, as it essentially renders the password protection mechanisms useless. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft to potential network compromise, as the stolen credentials could be used to escalate privileges, access restricted systems, or conduct further attacks within the compromised network environment.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in software implementations, specifically focusing on the use of weak or improperly implemented encryption schemes. From an adversarial perspective, this weakness maps directly to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under credential access and defense evasion tactics. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability through techniques such as memory scraping, binary analysis, or reverse engineering to extract the hardcoded encryption keys. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper key management and the dangers of embedding cryptographic keys within software binaries, a practice that violates fundamental security principles outlined in NIST SP 800-57 and other cryptographic standards. Organizations that failed to patch this vulnerability would have been left with a system where all user credentials were effectively stored in plaintext form, as the encryption provided no meaningful security protection against determined attackers who could extract the key through various reverse engineering or memory analysis techniques.