CheckPoint FW1 HTTP Security Hole

From: Volker Tanger (volker.tangerat_private)
Date: Tue Feb 19 2002 - 07:05:22 PST

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    Greetings!
    
    A quite known proxy vulnerability was found for FW1 V4.1 SP5 (plus
    hotfixes) - thanks to Ryan Snyder for announcing the first bits on
    Firewall-1 mailing list.
    
    If you connect to a server you are allowed to connect to via HTTP
    proxy (e.g. a common rule is "Any / WebServer / http->ressource").
    Then use the CONNECT method to connect to a different server, e.g.
    an internal mailserver.
    
    Example:
    	you = 6.6.6.666
    	Webserver = 1.1.1.1
    	Internal Mailserver = 2.2.2.2
    
    	Rule allows:  Any  Webserver http->ressource
    
    	connect with "telnet 1.1.1.1 80" to the webserver and enter
    	CONNECT 2.2.2.2:25 / HTTP/1.0
    
    	response: mail server banner - and running SMTP session e.g.
    	to send SPAM from.
    
    You can connect to any TCP port on any machine the firewall
    can connect to. Telnet, SMTP, POP, etc.
    
    Restrictions found:
    	- connects are only possible if the firewall module
    	  is allowed access (i.e. via policy/properties,
    	  specific rules or "Any  (dst) (svc)..." rules
    	- you have to allow "CONNECT" - is enabled if you allowed
    	  "Tunneling" (General tab) connection method or did not
    	  delete the "*" in "Other" Methods (Match tab)
    
    Fast workarounds:
    	- Change your ressource settings to filter out CONNECT
    	  commands, i.e.
    		* disable HTTP tunneling
    		* check that "Other" method is specified NOT to
    		  match CONNECT (i.e. remove the default wildcard)
    	- disallow access from the firewall module (->Properties)
    	- replace in all your rules containing the service
    	  HTTP+Resource this part with plain HTTP. Yes, you loose
    
    	  some content security but at least you don't compromise
    
    	  your other servers
    
    
    The thing that really concerns me is, that this general problem has
    been known to be an issue with plain HTTP proxies like the Squid since
    ages (see e.g. http://www.squid-cache.org/Doc/FAQ/FAQ-10.html#ss10.14).
    And why didn't Checkpoint prevent or at least document this?
    
    Puzzled
    	Volker
    
    - --
    
    - -------------------------------------------------------------------
    volker.tangerat_private                                 discon GmbH
    IT-Security Consulting                           Wrangelstrasse 100
    http://www.discon.de/                         10997 Berlin, Germany
    - -------------------------------------------------------------------
    PGP-Fingerprint: 5323 a4f7 a7c2 b8ef 4653 05ce d2ea 2b74  b94c c68e
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