CVE-2006-3490 in F-Secure
Summary
by MITRE
F-Secure Anti-Virus 2003 through 2006 and other versions, Internet Security 2003 through 2006, and Service Platform for Service Providers 6.x and earlier does not scan files contained on removable media when "Scan network drives" is disabled, which allows remote attackers to bypass anti-virus controls.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2017
This vulnerability exists in multiple versions of F-Secure anti-virus software spanning from 2003 through 2006, including Internet Security and Service Platform for Service Providers. The flaw represents a critical configuration oversight that creates an exploitable gap in endpoint protection. When the "Scan network drives" feature is disabled, the software fails to perform virus scanning on removable media such as USB drives, external hard drives, and other portable storage devices. This behavior directly violates the fundamental principle of comprehensive endpoint protection that requires scanning all potential entry points for malicious code.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper conditional logic within the anti-virus engine's scanning routines. The software maintains separate scanning paths for network drives and removable media, with the network drive scanning toggle inadvertently controlling the removable media scanning functionality. This cross-contamination of scanning parameters creates a scenario where legitimate security controls are bypassed simply by disabling a single configuration option. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-693 Protection Mechanism Failure, specifically involving inadequate access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized code execution through bypassed security checks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for enterprise environments and individual users alike. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness by placing malicious code on removable media and introducing it into systems where F-Secure is deployed with network scanning disabled. This creates a persistent threat vector that bypasses traditional anti-virus detection mechanisms, allowing malware to execute without being flagged by the security software. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where removable media is frequently used for data transfer, as it essentially creates a backdoor for malware propagation that cannot be detected by the installed security solution.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1078 Valid Accounts, as attackers can leverage this weakness to execute malicious code on target systems. The attack surface is widened because the vulnerability affects multiple product lines including anti-virus, internet security, and service platform versions, increasing the potential for exploitation across different deployment scenarios. Organizations implementing this software in environments where network scanning is disabled for performance reasons are particularly vulnerable, as they unknowingly create secure channels for malware delivery through removable media.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate configuration changes to ensure that removable media scanning is enabled regardless of network drive scanning settings. Security administrators should implement group policies or configuration management tools to enforce proper scanning behaviors across all endpoints. Regular security audits should verify that anti-virus configurations align with security best practices, particularly ensuring that removable media scanning is always enabled. Patch management programs should prioritize updating to versions of F-Secure that address this specific vulnerability, as the flaw represents a fundamental design weakness in the software's access control mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as removable media whitelisting or mandatory scanning policies to prevent exploitation of this configuration gap.