CVE-2016-9834 in Cyberoam Firewall
Summary
by MITRE
An XSS vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary client side script on vulnerable installations of Sophos Cyberoam firewall devices with firmware through 10.6.4. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the handling of a request to the "LiveConnectionDetail.jsp" application. GET parameters "applicationname" and "username" are improperly sanitized allowing an attacker to inject arbitrary JavaScript into the page. This can be abused by an attacker to perform a cross-site scripting attack on the user. A vulnerable URI is /corporate/webpages/trafficdiscovery/LiveConnectionDetail.jsp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/25/2024
The CVE-2016-9834 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Sophos Cyberoam firewall devices, specifically affecting firmware versions through 10.6.4. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where the application fails to properly validate and sanitize user input before incorporating it into dynamically generated web content. The flaw manifests in the LiveConnectionDetail.jsp web application which processes GET parameters named "applicationname" and "username" without adequate input sanitization measures. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious URLs that contain JavaScript payloads within these parameters, thereby enabling them to execute arbitrary client-side scripts on vulnerable systems.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires user interaction, making it a client-side attack vector that relies on social engineering tactics to succeed. An attacker would need to convince a legitimate user to visit a malicious webpage or open a compromised file containing the crafted payload. When the victim's browser requests the vulnerable URI at /corporate/webpages/trafficdiscovery/LiveConnectionDetail.jsp with malicious parameters, the firewall's web interface renders the unsanitized input directly into the page content. This creates a persistent XSS condition where the injected JavaScript executes within the victim's browser context, potentially compromising the user's session and enabling further attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can facilitate session hijacking, credential theft, and unauthorized access to the firewall management interface. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to the network infrastructure, potentially gaining insights into network traffic patterns, user activities, and sensitive operational data. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that firewall devices serve as critical network security boundaries, making successful exploitation a significant compromise to overall network security posture. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries use JavaScript to execute malicious code in the victim's browser environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-9834 should prioritize immediate firmware updates from Sophos to address the root cause of the vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the firewall management interface, deploy web application firewalls to filter malicious requests, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar input validation issues. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of not visiting untrusted websites or opening suspicious files, as these remain critical components in defending against social engineering attacks that exploit such vulnerabilities. Network administrators should also consider implementing strict access controls and monitoring for unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.