CVE-2004-1813 in VGW4-8 Telephony Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
VocalTec VGW4/8 Gateway 8.0 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication via an HTTP request to home.asp with a trailing slash (/).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1813 affects the VocalTec VGW4/8 Gateway version 8.0, representing a critical authentication bypass flaw that enables remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to the device. This issue stems from improper handling of HTTP requests within the web interface authentication mechanism, specifically when processing requests to the home.asp page. The vulnerability exploits a fundamental weakness in the gateway's access control implementation where the system fails to properly validate authentication status for certain HTTP request patterns.
The technical flaw manifests when an attacker sends an HTTP request to the home.asp page with a trailing slash character appended to the URL. This seemingly innocuous request manipulation causes the gateway's authentication system to incorrectly process the request, effectively bypassing the login mechanism entirely. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic example of path traversal or URL handling issues that can lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized access to administrative functions. The trailing slash creates a condition where the web server's authentication module fails to properly verify session tokens or credentials, allowing unauthenticated access to protected resources.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to network security infrastructure as it enables remote attackers to bypass authentication without requiring valid credentials or exploiting additional attack vectors. The gateway serves as a critical component in voice over internet protocol communications, making unauthorized access particularly dangerous as it could lead to complete network compromise, eavesdropping on voice communications, or disruption of voice services. Attackers could potentially modify gateway configurations, redirect calls, or gain access to sensitive communication data. The remote nature of this exploit means that attackers do not need physical access or local network presence to exploit the vulnerability, significantly expanding the attack surface.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering. Organizations utilizing VocalTec VGW4/8 Gateways should immediately implement mitigations including firmware updates from the vendor, network segmentation to limit access to the gateway, and implementation of intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious HTTP requests. Additionally, administrators should disable unnecessary web management interfaces, implement strong access controls, and regularly audit gateway configurations to prevent exploitation. The incident highlights the importance of proper input validation and authentication mechanism design in network infrastructure devices, emphasizing that even minor implementation flaws can lead to complete system compromise.