CVE-2014-1652 in Web Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the management console in Symantec Web Gateway (SWG) before 5.2 allow remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified report parameters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1652 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Symantec Web Gateway's management console interface. This issue affects versions prior to 5.2 and specifically targets the report generation functionality that handles user inputs. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web application's administrative interface, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary script code within the context of authenticated user sessions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of report parameters that are processed by the management console without proper sanitization. When authenticated users interact with the reporting features, the application fails to adequately validate or encode user-supplied input data before rendering it in web responses. This allows attackers to inject malicious javascript payloads or html content that gets executed in the browser of legitimate users who view the affected reports. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that any user with valid credentials to the management console can potentially exploit this flaw.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for organizations utilizing Symantec Web Gateway versions before 5.2. An attacker who gains access to a valid user account can leverage this XSS vulnerability to perform session hijacking attacks, steal sensitive administrative credentials, or redirect users to malicious websites. The attack surface extends beyond simple data theft to include potential privilege escalation scenarios where attackers might manipulate the management interface to alter security policies or configurations. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications.
The exploitation of CVE-2014-1652 aligns with several tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to credential access and persistence mechanisms. Attackers can use this vulnerability to establish a foothold within the network infrastructure by compromising administrative sessions, potentially leading to broader network compromise. The vulnerability also enables techniques for maintaining access through the execution of malicious scripts that could persist across user sessions or be used to exfiltrate data from the management console. Organizations may find that the vulnerability allows for lateral movement within their security infrastructure, as compromised management console sessions often provide elevated privileges and access to core security controls.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Symantec Web Gateway version 5.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the input validation issues. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts. Regular security assessments of the management console interface should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, and user access controls should be strictly enforced to limit administrative privileges to only essential personnel. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of proper input validation and output encoding practices in web application development, as specified in OWASP Top Ten security guidelines and industry best practices for secure coding.