Full Disclosure mailing list archives

RE: Sidewinder G2 Thanks and a question or two


From: "Mike Fratto" <mfratto () nwc com>
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 13:37:08 -0500



Basically, version 4.1 failed to do actually do HTTP syntax checking
making
the HTTP proxy a generic proxy in function. So all the HTTP protocol 
violation style attacks weren't blocked at all. Proved it using tools
off
packetstorm. Told SCC about it and proved it to them as 
well. Then they 
verified the problem and issued a patch some months later.


This was VERY disturbing. Kind of makes Secure's claim look 
pretty stupid. Tried it on any other boxes? Apparetntly 
secure computing expected the web proxy to be in full use. 
Fortunately, we are a small enough operation to do exactly that. 

I have tested this on subsequent versions and the problem has not resurface.
It was a bug that was corrected. I have also tested the HTTP, FTP, SMTP,
DNS, SQL*Net proxies for protocol violations, overlly long headers
(configurable in the proxy settings to some extent), proprely handling
dynamic protocls like ftp and SQL*Net and everything worked as advertised.
There are, of course, limitations in the proxies and won't stop all attacks,
but I am pretty confident that it will block attacks passing through the
firewall that violate the protocol.

They seem very confident about 
the integrity of their jails and told me I had nothing to 
worry about even if a hacker broke into a root shell in one 
of them. I am not convinced that this would be, to quote the 
late great Douglas Addams, "mostly harmless".

If you want to get a look at type-enforcement, grab a copy of SE linux
http://www.nsa.gov/selinux/. Secure computing secos is the foundation of it.

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