CVE-2016-9099 in Advanced Secure Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec Advanced Secure Gateway (ASG) 6.6, ASG 6.7 prior to 6.7.2.1, ProxySG 6.5 prior to 6.5.10.6, ProxySG 6.6, and ProxySG 6.7 prior to 6.7.2.1 are susceptible to an open redirection vulnerability. A remote attacker can use a crafted management console URL in a phishing attack to redirect the target user to a malicious web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9099 affects Symantec Advanced Secure Gateway and ProxySG products, representing a critical open redirection flaw that enables attackers to manipulate user navigation through carefully crafted URLs. This vulnerability exists in multiple versions including ASG 6.6, ASG 6.7 prior to 6.7.2.1, ProxySG 6.5 prior to 6.5.10.6, ProxySG 6.6, and ProxySG 6.7 prior to 6.7.2.1, creating a widespread exposure across Symantec's secure gateway solutions. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of redirect URLs within the management console interface, allowing malicious actors to construct deceptive links that appear legitimate to users interacting with the security infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of URL redirection parameters within the administrative web interface of Symantec's security appliances. When users access the management console and encounter a crafted URL containing malicious redirection parameters, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the destination URL before executing the redirect operation. This allows attackers to specify arbitrary URLs that users will be redirected to upon interaction with the compromised interface. The vulnerability specifically impacts the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the management console, where legitimate administrative functions are processed through potentially insecure redirect pathways that bypass normal security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple phishing attacks, as it enables sophisticated social engineering campaigns that can compromise entire security infrastructures. Attackers can leverage this flaw to redirect authenticated administrators to malicious sites that appear to be legitimate management interfaces, potentially capturing credentials or executing additional attacks through the compromised administrative session. The vulnerability creates a dangerous attack surface where even authenticated users who believe they are operating within a secure management environment can be unknowingly redirected to attacker-controlled resources. This opens possibilities for credential theft, privilege escalation, and further infiltration of networks protected by the compromised security appliances.
Organizations utilizing affected Symantec products face significant risk from this vulnerability, particularly in environments where administrative access to security appliances is frequently required. The open redirection flaw can be exploited through various attack vectors including email phishing campaigns, compromised websites, or social engineering tactics that target system administrators. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 open redirect vulnerabilities and maps to attack techniques within the MITRE ATT&CK framework under initial access and credential access phases, specifically targeting the manipulation of user trust through deceptive URL redirection. Security teams should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and implement network monitoring to detect suspicious redirect patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of Symantec patches addressing the specific version vulnerabilities, along with network-based controls to monitor and block suspicious redirection attempts. Organizations should implement strict URL validation policies within their administrative interfaces, enforce secure redirect handling through proper input sanitization, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network infrastructure components. Network segmentation and privileged access controls should be enhanced to limit the impact of potential exploitation, while security awareness training should emphasize the recognition of suspicious administrative interface redirects. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation in administrative interfaces, as outlined in industry standards for secure software development and vulnerability management protocols.