CVE-2014-2033 in ProxySG
Summary
by MITRE
The caching feature in SGOS in Blue Coat ProxySG 5.5 through 5.5.11.3, 6.1 through 6.1.6.3, 6.2 through 6.2.15.3, 6.4 through 6.4.6.1, and 6.3 and 6.5 before 6.5.4 allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions during a time window after account deletion or modification by leveraging knowledge of previously valid credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2033 resides within the caching mechanism of Blue Coat ProxySG operating system versions spanning multiple release lines including 5.5 through 5.5.11.3, 6.1 through 6.1.6.3, 6.2 through 6.2.15.3, 6.4 through 6.4.6.1, and versions 6.3 and 6.5 prior to 6.5.4. This issue represents a critical access control flaw that directly impacts the security posture of organizations relying on Blue Coat proxy appliances for network traffic management and content filtering. The vulnerability specifically affects the system's ability to properly invalidate cached authentication credentials when user accounts undergo modification or deletion, creating a window of opportunity for malicious actors to exploit previously valid credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper cache invalidation procedures within the SGOS authentication framework. When user accounts are modified or deleted, the system should immediately invalidate all cached authentication tokens and session data associated with those credentials. However, in affected versions, the caching layer maintains valid authentication state for a period after account changes, allowing authenticated users to leverage previously valid credentials during this temporal window. This behavior violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper access revocation, as the system fails to enforce immediate credential expiration upon account modification or deletion events. The flaw operates at the application level and specifically impacts the proxy authentication module's handling of user session lifecycle management.
Operationally, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations deploying Blue Coat ProxySG appliances, as it enables attackers to maintain access to network resources even after legitimate users have had their accounts disabled or deleted. The temporal nature of this vulnerability means that even after account termination, unauthorized access remains possible for an indeterminate period until the cache entries expire naturally. This creates a substantial window of opportunity for privilege escalation attacks, data exfiltration, and unauthorized network access. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential lateral movement within the network, as compromised credentials can be used to traverse different network segments and access protected resources. Security teams face increased difficulty in maintaining audit trails and demonstrating proper access control enforcement, as the system fails to provide immediate and consistent credential invalidation.
Organizations affected by CVE-2014-2033 should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest available patches from Blue Coat, which address the cache invalidation logic in the affected SGOS versions. Network administrators should also implement additional monitoring controls to detect unusual authentication patterns or access attempts that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should include configuring shorter cache timeout values for authentication tokens and implementing more aggressive credential invalidation policies. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability directly impacts security frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 requirements for access control and audit logging. The flaw aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and represents a specific implementation weakness in authentication session management that could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1531 (Account Access Removal). Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication, enhanced logging of authentication events, and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar cache-related vulnerabilities in their network infrastructure components.