CVE-2006-3550 in FirePass 4100
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in F5 Networks FirePass 4100 5.x allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified "writable form fields and hidden fields," including "authentication frontends."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/19/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-3550 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within F5 Networks FirePass 4100 version 5.x authentication systems. This vulnerability exposes the authentication frontends to malicious injection attacks that can compromise user sessions and potentially escalate privileges. The issue stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing it within the web application context. The affected system components include writable form fields and hidden fields that are utilized during the authentication process, creating multiple attack vectors for remote threat actors to exploit.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious payloads that are submitted through the vulnerable form fields and hidden parameters. These payloads typically consist of javascript code or html tags that execute within the victim's browser context when the compromised authentication frontend processes the malicious input. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core authentication infrastructure, potentially allowing attackers to hijack user sessions, steal credentials, or redirect users to malicious websites.
Operationally, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations utilizing F5 FirePass 4100 systems for secure authentication. The remote exploitation capability means attackers do not require physical access or network proximity to the system, making the attack surface extremely broad. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to protected resources, data breaches, and potential lateral movement within the network. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft as the compromised authentication system could be used to establish persistent access points or facilitate more sophisticated attacks. Organizations relying on this authentication platform face potential compliance violations and security breaches that could affect customer data and corporate assets.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-3550 should prioritize immediate patching of affected FirePass 4100 systems through official F5 security updates. Network segmentation and web application firewalls can provide additional protective layers to detect and block malicious injection attempts. Input validation controls should be strengthened to sanitize all user-supplied data, particularly within form fields and hidden parameters. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of authentication systems are essential to identify similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous behavior in authentication processes and establish incident response procedures specifically for authentication system compromises. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and following secure coding practices to prevent injection attacks that could compromise core infrastructure components. This weakness also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers phishing and social engineering attacks that leverage web application vulnerabilities for initial access.