CVE-2024-22457 in Secure Connect Gateway
Summary
by MITRE • 03/01/2024
Dell Secure Connect Gateway 5.20 contains an improper authentication vulnerability during the SRS to SCG update path. A remote low privileged attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to impersonation of the server through presenting a fake self-signed certificate and communicating with the remote server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-22457 affects Dell Secure Connect Gateway version 5.20 and represents a critical weakness in the authentication mechanism during software updates from Secure Remote Services to Secure Connect Gateway. This flaw exists within the update path process where the system fails to properly validate the authenticity of the communicating entity, creating an exploitable condition that allows malicious actors to bypass normal security controls. The vulnerability specifically impacts the certificate validation process, where the system accepts potentially fraudulent certificates without adequate verification, undermining the fundamental security posture of the gateway infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate certificate validation procedures within the update mechanism, where the Secure Connect Gateway does not sufficiently verify the legitimacy of certificates presented during the SRS to SCG update process. This weakness creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where an attacker with low privileges can manipulate the communication channel by presenting a fake self-signed certificate that appears legitimate to the gateway system. The flaw aligns with CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation and certificate pinning issues, representing a classic case of insufficient certificate trust validation that enables authentication bypass scenarios.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes organizations to significant risk as it allows remote attackers to impersonate legitimate server components within the Dell Secure Connect Gateway environment. The successful exploitation could enable attackers to intercept, modify, or redirect traffic flowing through the gateway, potentially compromising the entire network infrastructure that relies on this security device for remote access and connectivity. The impact extends beyond simple authentication bypass as it could facilitate further lateral movement within the network, data exfiltration, and disruption of critical business operations that depend on secure remote connectivity. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access points within the network, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely heavily on remote access solutions.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including verifying the integrity of all update processes through manual certificate verification, implementing network segmentation to limit access to update mechanisms, and establishing monitoring protocols to detect unauthorized certificate changes. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of certificate validation in security protocols and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1556.001 which covers credential harvesting through man-in-the-middle attacks. Additional protective measures should include implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, enabling detailed logging of certificate validation events, and conducting regular security assessments of update processes. Organizations must also review their overall certificate management policies and ensure that all security devices maintain proper certificate validation procedures to prevent similar vulnerabilities from compromising their security infrastructure.