CVE-2007-3464 in Safe@Office 500 Utm
Summary
by MITRE
Check Point SofaWare Safe@Office, with firmware before Embedded NGX 7.0.45 GA, does not require entry of the old password when changing the admin password, which might allow attackers to gain privileges by conducting a CSRF attack, making a password change on an unattended workstation, or other vectors.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2017
The vulnerability identified in CVE-2007-3464 affects Check Point SofaWare Safe@Office appliances running firmware versions prior to Embedded NGX 7.0.45 GA, representing a critical security flaw in authentication management that undermines the integrity of administrative access controls. This weakness stems from the absence of mandatory password verification during administrative password changes, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to escalate privileges within the network security infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface of the firewall appliance, which serves as a critical control point for network security policy enforcement and management.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the authentication subsystem where the system fails to validate the current administrative password before accepting a new password change request. This design oversight allows attackers to modify administrative credentials without providing the existing password, effectively bypassing the fundamental security principle of requiring authentication proof before authorization changes. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the administrative privilege level, potentially granting attackers complete control over the firewall's security policies, logging configurations, and network access controls. This weakness aligns with CWE-305 authentication bypass vulnerabilities and represents a failure in proper access control enforcement mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables various attack vectors that can compromise the entire network security infrastructure. An attacker could leverage cross-site request forgery techniques to manipulate administrative sessions, exploit unattended workstations to change passwords without detection, or utilize other social engineering methods to gain unauthorized access. The implications are severe because firewall appliances serve as the primary defense mechanism in network security architectures, making any compromise of administrative credentials potentially catastrophic for the entire organization. This vulnerability directly maps to attack patterns described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and credential access techniques, specifically targeting the T1078 and T1566 tactics.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates to Embedded NGX 7.0.45 GA or later versions that address the authentication bypass flaw through proper password verification mechanisms. Organizations should implement additional monitoring controls to detect unauthorized administrative password changes and establish robust session management policies that require re-authentication for administrative actions. Network segmentation and least privilege principles should be enforced to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation, while regular security assessments should verify that administrative interfaces are properly secured. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security appliance firmware and implementing proper change management processes for administrative access controls, as outlined in industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 security requirements for access control management.