CVE-2004-1789 in ZyWALL
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web management interface in ZyWALL 10 4.07 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the rpAuth_1 page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2024
The CVE-2004-1789 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in the web management interface of ZyWALL 10 firewall appliances running firmware version 4.07. This vulnerability resides within the rpAuth_1 page component of the device's web administration interface, creating a significant security risk for organizations utilizing this specific firewall model. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML content directly into the targeted system's web interface, potentially compromising the security posture of the entire network infrastructure.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the rpAuth_1 page implementation. When users interact with the web management interface, the system fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters before rendering them in the web response. This inadequate sanitization allows attackers to craft malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable web interface, execute in the context of authenticated users' browsers. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication and authorization page functionality, making it particularly dangerous as it could potentially be exploited to hijack administrative sessions or gain unauthorized access to the firewall's management functions.
From an operational impact perspective, this XSS vulnerability poses severe risks to network security infrastructure. Attackers could exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary scripts in the browser of any user accessing the compromised web management interface, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects the web management interface specifically, meaning that any administrator or authorized user who accesses the ZyWALL 10's web console could become a victim of this attack. This creates a direct pathway for attackers to compromise the firewall's administrative functions, potentially leading to complete network compromise as the firewall's security policies could be modified or bypassed.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it requires no local access or authentication to the device itself. Remote attackers can simply craft malicious URLs or HTML content and deliver them to users who are authenticated to the web management interface. This aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as a common weakness in web application security. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004, which covers web application exploitation through the use of web shells or malicious scripts, as the injected content could potentially be used to establish persistent access to the network management interface.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including firmware updates from ZyXEL, which would contain the necessary security patches to address the input validation deficiencies. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the web management interface to only authorized personnel. Additionally, implementing content security policies and input validation measures can help reduce the impact of similar vulnerabilities in other components. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper input sanitization in web applications, particularly in administrative interfaces that handle sensitive network configuration data. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in network infrastructure components. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical security considerations that must be addressed in all network management interfaces, as they represent prime targets for attackers seeking to compromise network security infrastructure.