CVE-2004-2554 in Client Firewall
Summary
by MITRE
Novell Client Firewall (NCF) 2.0, as based on the Agnitum Outpost Firewall, allows local users to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges by opening the NCF tray icon and using the Help functionality to launch programs with SYSTEM privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2554 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Novell Client Firewall version 2.0, which is built upon the Agnitum Outpost Firewall framework. This issue specifically targets the help functionality of the NCF tray icon, creating a dangerous attack vector that allows local users to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM level privileges. The vulnerability stems from inadequate privilege separation and improper input validation within the firewall client's user interface components, particularly when handling help requests.
The technical flaw manifests through the manipulation of the NCF tray icon's help functionality, which is designed to provide users with assistance documentation and support features. However, the implementation contains a critical design weakness where the help system fails to properly validate or sanitize user inputs before executing commands with elevated privileges. When a local user interacts with the help feature through the tray icon interface, the system inadvertently launches programs with SYSTEM privileges, bypassing normal security boundaries that should prevent such privilege escalation. This represents a classic case of insufficient privilege control and improper access restriction mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching within enterprise environments that deploy Novell Client Firewall 2.0. Local users who might otherwise have limited system access can exploit this flaw to gain full administrative control over the affected systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistent backdoor establishment. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of the firewall client, undermining the trust model that security products are designed to maintain. Organizations using this software face significant risk of unauthorized privilege escalation, especially in environments where multiple users have access to the same systems.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges, and reflects common patterns found in privilege escalation attacks documented in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation techniques. This flaw demonstrates how seemingly benign user interface features can become attack vectors when proper security controls are not implemented. The issue also relates to CWE-74, which covers injection flaws, as the vulnerability occurs through improper handling of user-provided data within the help system. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling the help functionality, applying vendor patches, or restricting user access to the tray icon interface until proper security updates are deployed. Additionally, system administrators should monitor for suspicious processes running with SYSTEM privileges and implement proper access controls to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability in production environments.