CVE-2008-1208 in VPN-1 UTM Edge
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the login page in Check Point VPN-1 UTM Edge W Embedded NGX 7.0.48x allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the user parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1208 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw located within the login page of Check Point VPN-1 UTM Edge W Embedded NGX version 7.0.48x. This security weakness exists in the authentication interface where user input is not properly sanitized before being processed and displayed back to the user. The specific parameter affected is the user field, which serves as the primary entry point for attackers to execute malicious code within the context of the victim's browser session. This flaw fundamentally undermines the security posture of the network infrastructure by allowing unauthorized parties to exploit the authentication mechanism and potentially gain elevated privileges or access to sensitive network resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding practices within the web application layer of the Check Point security appliance. When a user submits a login request containing malicious script code within the user parameter, the application fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript commands. This failure creates a persistent XSS vector where the malicious payload is stored and subsequently executed whenever the affected page is rendered to other users or when the system processes the input. The vulnerability specifically aligns with CWE-79 which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a primary cause of cross-site scripting attacks. The flaw demonstrates a classic reflected XSS pattern where the malicious code is injected through the user parameter and executed in the victim's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, presenting significant risks to network security and user privacy. Remote attackers can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary web scripts in the context of authenticated sessions, potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability affects the core authentication mechanism of the security appliance, which serves as a gateway for network access control, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where the appliance protects critical infrastructure. Attackers could use this vulnerability to establish persistent access to network resources, bypass authentication mechanisms, or perform man-in-the-middle attacks against legitimate users. The flaw also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials usage and T1566 which covers credential harvesting through social engineering and exploitation of authentication vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding measures within the affected application layer. Organizations should implement proper HTML escaping and sanitization of all user-supplied input before processing or displaying it within web pages. The recommended approach involves applying strict input validation to reject or sanitize potentially malicious characters including angle brackets, script tags, and other HTML/JavaScript constructs. Network administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads attempting to exploit this vulnerability. The most effective long-term solution involves upgrading to patched versions of Check Point VPN-1 UTM Edge W Embedded NGX that address the XSS vulnerability through proper input handling and output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, implementing security headers such as Content Security Policy can provide additional protection layers against XSS attacks and align with industry best practices for web application security as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity guidelines.