CVE-2014-2881 in Netscaler
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Diffie-Hellman key agreement implementation in the management GUI Java applet in Citrix NetScaler Application Delivery Controller (ADC) and NetScaler Gateway before 9.3-66.5 and 10.x before 10.1-122.17 has unknown impact and vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2881 resides within the Diffie-Hellman key agreement implementation in the management GUI Java applet of Citrix NetScaler Application Delivery Controller and NetScaler Gateway products. This issue affects versions prior to 9.3-66.5 for NetScaler ADC and 10.1-122.17 for NetScaler Gateway, representing a critical security flaw that could potentially compromise the integrity of cryptographic communications within enterprise network infrastructure. The vulnerability specifically targets the Java applet component responsible for management interface operations, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely on these administrative interfaces for system configuration and monitoring.
The technical flaw manifests in the implementation of the Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol, which is fundamental to establishing secure communication channels in network security systems. When examining this vulnerability through the lens of CWE classification, it aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in key exchange mechanisms. The unspecified nature of the impact and attack vectors suggests that the flaw may involve multiple aspects of the cryptographic implementation, potentially including weak key generation, improper parameter selection, or insufficient validation of cryptographic parameters. This type of vulnerability falls under the broader category of cryptographic implementation flaws that can lead to session hijacking, man-in-the-middle attacks, or complete compromise of the management interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple cryptographic weakness, as it directly affects the security posture of enterprise networks relying on Citrix NetScaler appliances. Organizations utilizing affected versions of the NetScaler ADC and Gateway products face potential exposure to unauthorized access to critical network management functions, which could enable attackers to modify configurations, monitor traffic, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The Java applet context is particularly significant since it represents a client-side execution environment that may be subject to additional attack surface considerations, including potential exploitation through browser-based attacks or social engineering vectors that could lead to privilege escalation within the management interface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2881 should prioritize immediate upgrade to patched versions of Citrix NetScaler software, specifically targeting the releases mentioned in the advisory. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to isolate management interfaces from production networks, enforce strict access controls through multi-factor authentication, and monitor for suspicious activities in management interface logs. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation, making comprehensive monitoring and logging essential for early detection of exploitation attempts. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate attempts to exploit the cryptographic weakness in the Diffie-Hellman implementation, as this type of vulnerability often requires careful analysis of network communications to detect successful exploitation attempts.