CVE-2014-2589 in Sonicwall Network Security Appliance 2400
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Dashboard Backend service (stats/dashboard.jsp) in SonicWall Network Security Appliance (NSA) 2400 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the sn parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2026
The CVE-2014-2589 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in SonicWall Network Security Appliance model 2400's Dashboard Backend service. This vulnerability specifically affects the stats/dashboard.jsp component where user input is improperly sanitized, creating an exploitable entry point for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate and escape input parameters, particularly the sn parameter that is processed within the dashboard interface. This flaw exists within the web application layer of the network security appliance, making it accessible to remote attackers who can leverage this weakness without requiring local system access or authentication credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a code injection flaw where untrusted data is directly incorporated into web pages without proper validation or sanitization. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious payloads containing script tags or other HTML elements and passing them through the sn parameter in the stats/dashboard.jsp endpoint. When the vulnerable application processes this input and renders it within the dashboard interface, the embedded malicious code executes in the context of other users' browsers who view the compromised dashboard. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be used to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, or redirect victims to malicious websites.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it represents a significant compromise of the appliance's security posture and can be leveraged for broader attacks within the network environment. Network administrators who rely on the dashboard for monitoring and management activities become potential victims of this vulnerability, as attackers can manipulate the dashboard content to display malicious advertisements, redirect users to phishing sites, or execute more sophisticated attacks such as credential theft. The remote nature of this exploit means that attackers can target the appliance from anywhere on the internet, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that expose their network security appliances to external traffic. This vulnerability undermines the trust model of the appliance's web interface and can lead to complete compromise of the monitoring and logging capabilities that security teams depend upon for network visibility.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2589 should include immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding controls within the affected application layer. Organizations should apply the vendor-provided security patches and firmware updates that address this specific vulnerability, as SonicWall released fixes to properly sanitize the sn parameter in their dashboard components. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of the vulnerable appliance to untrusted networks, while also ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to the dashboard interface. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious parameter values in web application logs, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within other components of the network infrastructure. The remediation process should also involve comprehensive testing to ensure that the applied fixes do not introduce regressions in the appliance's core functionality while maintaining the security posture of the overall network security ecosystem.