CVE-2005-3468 in Internet Gatekeeper
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in F-Secure Anti-Virus for Microsoft Exchange 6.40 and Internet Gatekeeper 6.40 to 6.42 allows limited remote attackers to bypass Web Console authentication and read files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-3468 represents a directory traversal flaw affecting F-Secure Anti-Virus for Microsoft Exchange versions 6.40 and F-Secure Internet Gatekeeper versions 6.40 through 6.42. This security weakness resides within the web console authentication mechanisms of these email security products, creating a potential pathway for unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. The vulnerability specifically impacts organizations relying on F-Secure's email protection solutions, where the web interface serves as a management portal for security configurations and monitoring activities.
The technical exploitation of this directory traversal vulnerability occurs through manipulation of input parameters within the web console interface. Attackers can craft malicious requests that exploit insufficient input validation and path resolution mechanisms, allowing them to navigate beyond the intended directory structures and access files that should remain protected. This flaw operates at the application layer, specifically targeting the web server component that handles administrative console requests. The vulnerability enables attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms by directly accessing underlying file systems through crafted URLs or request parameters, effectively circumventing the security controls designed to protect the web console.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access, as it provides attackers with the ability to read sensitive configuration files, log data, and potentially system files that contain credentials or other confidential information. Organizations using affected F-Secure products face risks including compromise of administrative access credentials, exposure of internal network configurations, and potential escalation to full system compromise. The limited remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require local system access, making it particularly concerning for network-based attackers who can target the web console from external positions. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and undermines the security boundary established by the web console authentication system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of affected F-Secure products to the latest available versions that contain fixes for the directory traversal issue. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected web consoles, restrict administrative access through firewall rules, and monitor for suspicious access patterns in web server logs. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and output encoding within the web application framework can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, and represents a common attack pattern documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and credential access techniques. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious traversal attempts, while maintaining regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other security infrastructure components.