Here are the tips to get rid of Secure Web Gateway Problems once and for all. Check them out!
Get Rid Of Secure Web Gateway Problems Once And For All
Network security innovations like Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they enable us to prevent a multitude of threats that would otherwise go unnoticed. On the other hand, they also serve as an attack surface for hackers, who can use WAF vulnerabilities to breach our networks.
In some cases, it’s not even the WAF that’s the problem. Rather, Web developers themselves are responsible for these issues. Because the way they write their code gives hackers an opening to exploit WAFs and wreak havoc on the network.
We will uncover an interesting three-year-old vulnerability in a very popular open source project. It powers Internet giants such as Amazon, Twitter, and Facebook – Akamai’s T3 web server. This vulnerability is a textbook example of how simple coding mistakes can lead to big problems.
Akamai was notified about this issue over two years ago. However, the company never addressed it in any of its subsequent releases. As a result, it is important to inform the general public about this flaw.
Now that administrators can take precautions to protect themselves against attackers. Since they may have already exploited this vulnerability or will likely develop exploits for it shortly.
What Makes This Vulnerability Special?
The vulnerability discovered to Akamai in 2013 can be used by attackers to bypass WAFs. This is in a way that lets them execute arbitrary code on servers vulnerable to this issue. This threat can affect both Web servers and the T3 server itself.
But depending on how it’s configured by system administrators. In addition, the analysis shows that hackers can exploit this vulnerability to gain full admin privileges on vulnerable servers. This completely takes over vulnerable websites running Akamai’s T3 server.
What’s more, the vulnerability is easy to exploit. This is because it exists in the WebDAV interface that’s used for file transfer. This feature is responsible for storing files on Web servers.
But in this case, it’s also responsible for transmitting commands from its client to the server. All of this happens over HTTP. But this vulnerability can be exploited by hackers to compromise servers that visit malicious websites. These types of attacks are known as drive-by exploits.
In short, hackers can use this vulnerability to take over any server running Akamai’s T3 Web server. They can then leverage these compromised sites in follow-up attacks. This includes phishing campaigns, malvertising campaigns, and other types of cybercriminal operations.
How Did This Flaw Arise?
The bug was introduced into the source code back in 2011. As a result, a patch to fix it was released in January 2013. However, Akamai never included that patch in any of its subsequent releases.
This flaw has existed within the T3 server source code for almost 3 years without being addressed. As a result, any Internet site running a vulnerable version of this software remains exposed to hacker attacks at any moment. This issue has affected both private individuals and businesses alike.
Unfortunately, though, most site owners remain unaware of this problem because they lack the technical expertise required to detect it.