CVE-2014-1650 in Web Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in user.php in the management console in Symantec Web Gateway (SWG) before 5.2.1 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2021
The CVE-2014-1650 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw discovered in Symantec Web Gateway management console software. This vulnerability specifically affects the user.php component within the web gateway's administrative interface and impacts versions prior to 5.2.1. The flaw enables remote authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database, potentially compromising the entire security infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification as a remote authenticated vector indicates that an attacker must first establish legitimate credentials to exploit the flaw, though this access requirement does not diminish the severity of potential impact. The Symantec Web Gateway serves as a critical security appliance for web traffic filtering and content control, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could allow attackers to manipulate the core security policies and access sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this SQL injection vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the user.php script of the management console. When authenticated users interact with the administrative interface, the application fails to adequately sanitize or escape user-supplied data before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows attackers to inject malicious SQL code that gets executed by the database engine, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the CVE description suggest that the vulnerability could be exploited through multiple entry points within the user management functionality, making it particularly challenging to defend against completely. The vulnerability falls under CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation. The attack chain typically involves an authenticated user submitting malicious input through web forms or API calls that are then processed by the vulnerable application code.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-1650 extends far beyond simple data compromise, as the Symantec Web Gateway serves as a central security control point for enterprise networks. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to manipulate security policies, bypass content filtering rules, access sensitive user data, and potentially escalate privileges within the network infrastructure. The management console's role in controlling access policies makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations relying on the appliance for web traffic security. Attackers could use this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to the database containing user credentials, configuration settings, and security policies, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Organizations using affected versions may experience unauthorized access to their web filtering policies, enabling malicious traffic to bypass security controls while legitimate traffic may be improperly filtered. The vulnerability also poses risks to compliance requirements, as unauthorized database access could violate data protection regulations and expose sensitive information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-1650 focus primarily on immediate software updates and comprehensive security hardening measures. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Symantec Web Gateway version 5.2.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the SQL injection vulnerability. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries within the application code would prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enhanced to limit the scope of potential exploitation, ensuring that administrative interfaces are not directly accessible from untrusted networks. Security monitoring should be implemented to detect anomalous database access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper input sanitization techniques as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the organization's infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on suspicious SQL command execution patterns.