CVE-2024-5590 in NS-ASG Application Security Gateway
Summary
by MITRE • 06/03/2024
A vulnerability was found in Netentsec NS-ASG Application Security Gateway 6.3. It has been declared as critical. This vulnerability affects unknown code of the file /protocol/iscuser/uploadiscuser.php of the component JSON Content Handler. The manipulation of the argument messagecontent leads to sql injection. The attack can be initiated remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used. The identifier of this vulnerability is VDB-266848. NOTE: The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-5590 represents a critical security flaw in Netentsec NS-ASG Application Security Gateway version 6.3, specifically within the JSON Content Handler component. This vulnerability resides in the /protocol/iscuser/uploadiscuser.php file and demonstrates a classic SQL injection weakness that can be exploited through manipulation of the messagecontent argument. The attack vector is remote, meaning that threat actors can potentially exploit this vulnerability without requiring physical access to the target system. The disclosure of this exploit to the public community significantly elevates the risk level, as malicious actors now have documented techniques to leverage this weakness against affected systems. The vulnerability's classification as critical indicates that it presents a substantial risk to system integrity and data confidentiality, particularly given the nature of SQL injection attacks which can lead to unauthorized data access, data modification, or complete system compromise. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws in software applications where user-controllable data is improperly incorporated into SQL queries without adequate sanitization or parameterization.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the JSON Content Handler's processing of user-supplied data within the uploadiscuser.php script. When the messagecontent parameter is manipulated, it allows attackers to inject malicious SQL code that can be executed against the underlying database. The remote nature of this attack means that threat actors can initiate exploitation from external networks without requiring local system access, making it particularly dangerous for network-facing applications. The lack of vendor response to early disclosure attempts compounds the severity of this issue, as organizations may not receive timely patches or mitigations to protect against this known vulnerability. This scenario creates a dangerous gap in security coverage where organizations must rely on public exploitation techniques while waiting for vendor remediation, potentially leaving systems exposed to active exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification, as SQL injection attacks can provide attackers with extensive access to the database infrastructure. Successful exploitation could enable unauthorized users to extract sensitive information, modify database records, or even escalate privileges within the application environment. The NS-ASG gateway serves as a security control point, making this vulnerability particularly concerning as it could allow attackers to bypass security measures or compromise the integrity of the entire security infrastructure. Organizations relying on this gateway for application security protection may find their security posture significantly weakened, potentially leading to broader network compromise or data breaches. The vulnerability's presence in a security gateway also means that any data processed through this component could be at risk, including user credentials, application data, and potentially sensitive business information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-5590 should prioritize immediate action to protect affected systems, including implementing network segmentation to limit access to the vulnerable component, deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious SQL injection attempts, and disabling or restricting access to the uploadiscuser.php endpoint until proper patches are applied. Organizations should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any additional systems that may be exposed to similar attack vectors within their network infrastructure. The absence of vendor response necessitates proactive security measures, including the implementation of intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and the establishment of incident response procedures specifically addressing SQL injection vulnerabilities. Additionally, organizations should consider applying temporary workarounds such as input validation and parameterized queries to reduce the attack surface while awaiting official vendor patches, following industry best practices outlined in the ATT&CK framework for application security vulnerabilities and database exploitation techniques.