CVE-2012-2961 in Web Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the management console in Symantec Web Gateway 5.0.x before 5.0.3.18 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2024
The CVE-2012-2961 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw discovered in Symantec Web Gateway 5.0.x versions prior to 5.0.3.18, specifically affecting the management console component. This vulnerability resides within the web-based administrative interface that organizations use to configure and manage their web gateway security policies. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious SQL commands through unspecified input vectors, potentially compromising the entire security infrastructure. The management console serves as a critical administrative interface where security policies, user permissions, and system configurations are managed, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could allow unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the Symantec Web Gateway's management console. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious SQL payloads that bypass normal input filtering mechanisms, allowing them to manipulate the underlying database queries executed by the application. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple input points within the management console could be susceptible to exploitation, including form fields, URL parameters, or API endpoints. This broad attack surface increases the likelihood of successful exploitation and makes the vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against using traditional perimeter security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft, as successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized administrative access. Attackers could potentially escalate privileges to gain full control over the web gateway appliance, modify security policies in real-time, bypass content filtering rules, and establish persistent access points within the network. The management console typically contains sensitive configuration data, user credentials, and security policy settings that could be leveraged for further attacks against internal network resources. Organizations relying on Symantec Web Gateway for web security filtering could face significant operational disruption and security breaches if this vulnerability is exploited.
Organizations should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, beginning with the mandatory upgrade to Symantec Web Gateway version 5.0.3.18 or later, which contains the necessary security patches. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the management console to only authorized administrative users, while implementing strict access controls and authentication mechanisms. Regular security auditing of the management interface should be conducted to identify potential unauthorized access attempts, and organizations should establish robust monitoring systems to detect anomalous database query patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which categorizes SQL injection flaws as a fundamental weakness in web application security, and represents a common attack pattern that maps to several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation and defense evasion. Given the critical nature of this vulnerability, organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls and database activity monitoring to provide defense-in-depth protection against similar attack vectors.