CVE-2007-4018 in Access Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Citrix Access Gateway Advanced Edition before firmware 4.5.5 allows attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4018 affects Citrix Access Gateway Advanced Edition devices running firmware versions prior to 4.5.5, representing a critical security flaw that enables unauthorized redirection of user traffic to malicious websites. This weakness fundamentally compromises the integrity of the authentication and access control mechanisms that the Citrix gateway is designed to provide, creating a dangerous attack surface for threat actors seeking to exploit user trust in legitimate corporate systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Citrix Access Gateway's web interface and redirection handling components. Attackers can manipulate unspecified parameters or vectors to inject malicious URLs that are then processed and executed by the gateway, leading to unauthorized redirects that bypass normal security controls. This flaw operates at the application layer and leverages the trust relationship between users and the corporate network infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous as users are often unaware of the redirection until after they have entered credentials or sensitive information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple web redirection, creating significant risks for enterprise security posture and user data protection. Organizations utilizing affected Citrix Access Gateway versions face potential exposure to sophisticated phishing campaigns where users are unknowingly redirected to attacker-controlled domains that closely mimic legitimate corporate portals. This creates opportunities for credential theft, data exfiltration, and broader network compromise through the initial foothold gained via successful phishing attacks. The vulnerability essentially undermines the core security function of the gateway as a trusted access point between users and corporate resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates to version 4.5.5 or later, as provided by Citrix, along with comprehensive network monitoring to detect any suspicious redirection patterns or unauthorized access attempts. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as web application firewalls, enhanced email filtering, and user education programs to reduce the effectiveness of phishing attacks that may exploit this vulnerability. The remediation process must include thorough testing of updated firmware in controlled environments before deployment to ensure continued functionality of critical access services. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 and ATT&CK techniques related to URL redirection and credential harvesting, emphasizing the need for robust input validation and secure coding practices in enterprise access control systems.