CVE-2009-3457 in ACE XML Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco ACE XML Gateway (AXG) and ACE Web Application Firewall (WAF) before 6.1 allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via an HTTP request that lacks a handler, as demonstrated by (1) an OPTIONS request or (2) a crafted GET request, leading to a Message-handling Errors message containing a certain client intranet IP address, aka Bug ID CSCtb82159.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-3457 affects Cisco ACE XML Gateway and ACE Web Application Firewall appliances running software versions prior to 6.1. This security flaw represents a significant information disclosure issue that occurs when the affected devices process HTTP requests lacking proper handlers. The vulnerability manifests when the system encounters requests that do not match any defined handlers, resulting in error messages that inadvertently expose sensitive internal network information. The specific conditions that trigger this vulnerability include OPTIONS requests and crafted GET requests that are not properly handled by the appliance's message processing framework.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the message handling error processing within the Cisco ACE appliances. When a request reaches the system without an appropriate handler, the appliance generates an error message containing internal network details, specifically revealing client intranet IP addresses. This occurs because the error reporting mechanism does not properly sanitize or filter the information contained in error messages before they are returned to the requesting entity. The vulnerability falls under the category of improper error handling and information exposure, with direct implications for the principle of least privilege and information hiding in network security architectures. From a CWE perspective, this maps to CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) categories, as the system fails to properly validate incoming requests and sanitize error responses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, creating potential attack vectors for adversaries seeking to map internal network topologies and identify vulnerable internal systems. The exposure of intranet IP addresses provides attackers with critical network intelligence that could be leveraged for subsequent attacks, including port scanning, service enumeration, and targeted exploitation of internal systems. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on Cisco ACE appliances for web application security and that may have internal network structures where sensitive systems are exposed to the external network through these appliances. The risk is amplified when the affected appliances are deployed in environments where the internal network structure is not properly segmented or where the exposed IP addresses correspond to critical internal services.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Cisco ACE software versions 6.1 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper error handling and information sanitization. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging controls to detect unusual patterns of requests that might trigger this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should align with defensive security practices outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly focusing on the defense evasion and reconnaissance techniques that could be enabled by this information disclosure. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive network mapping exercises to identify all instances of affected appliances and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.