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CERT Coordination Center

RSA Security ACE/Agent for Windows, ACE/Agent for Windows NT, and ACE/Agent for Windows 2000 do not properly handle null characters in URL

Vulnerability Note VU#609840

Original Release Date: 2001-10-19 | Last Revised: 2001-11-01

Overview

RSA Security ACE/Agent for Windows, ACE/Agent for Windows NT, and ACE/Agent for Windows 2000 contain a vulnerability in which the ACE/Agent does not properly handle null characters contained in a URL. A specially crafted request may cause ACE/Agent to enter a debugging mode, possibly disclosing sensitive configuration information about the server.

Description

ProCheckup Ltd has reported a vulnerability in RSA Security ACE/Agent for Windows, ACE/Agent for Windows NT, and ACE/Agent for Windows 2000. The Windows versions of ACE/Agent can be used to protect resources on Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) web servers. Requests for protected resources are passed from the web server to the ACE/Agent, which is implemented in the file sdiis.dll. The ACE/Agent authenticates the request against an RSA Security ACE/Server using RSA Security SecurID technology. While processing a crafted URL containing an encoded null character, ACE/Agent may crash and return debugging information, which may be useful to an attacker.

RSA Security addressed this issue in July 2001. The following ACE/Agents are not affected:

    • RSA ACE/Agent 4.4.3 (or later) for Windows NT
    • RSA ACE/Agent 1.1.2 (or later) for Windows 2000
    • RSA ACE/Agent 5.0 for Windows

Impact

An attacker may be able to cause ACE/Agent to crash, possibly revealing sensitive configuration information about the server.

Solution

This vulnerability is fixed in the versions of ACE/Agents specified in the Vendor Statement. RSA Security recommends that customers install the latest releases, which are available through RSA Security's SecurCare Online and through RSA Security's public web site. RSA Security informed customers of this vulnerability in a Security Bulletin dated July 24, 2001.

IIIb. Workarounds
It may be possible to use an application layer filter to detect and block malicious requests.

Vendor Information

609840
 

RSA Security Affected

Notified:  September 14, 2001 Updated: October 24, 2001

Status

Affected

Vendor Statement

RSA Security identified and proactively fixed this issue in July 2001 and notified all customers. Companies using the following agents are not affected:

    • RSA ACE/Agent 4.4.3 (or later) for Windows NT
    • RSA ACE/Agent 1.1.2 (or later) for Windows 2000
    • RSA ACE/Agent 5.0 for Windows
To download the most recent versions of the agents, refer to .

Vendor Information

The vendor has not provided us with any further information regarding this vulnerability.

Addendum

The CERT/CC has no additional comments at this time.

If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us email.


CVSS Metrics

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References

Acknowledgements

The CERT Coordination Center thanks ProCheckup Ltd for information used in this document.

This document was written by Art Manion.

Other Information

CVE IDs: None
Severity Metric: 1.98
Date Public: 2001-10-19
Date First Published: 2001-10-19
Date Last Updated: 2001-11-01 19:19 UTC
Document Revision: 27

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