Security News > 2020 > May > What's worse than an annoying internet filter? How about one with a pre-auth remote-command execution hole and there's no patch?

Netsweeper's internet filter has a nasty security vulnerability that can be exploited to hijack the host server and tamper with lists of blocked websites.

Rathaus told The Register that, in the worst case scenario, a hacker could exploit the bug to not only take over the host server, but also manipulate how users have their content filtered and delivered by Netsweeper.

Neither Rathaus nor The Register were able to get any response from the vendor despite multiple attempts to contact the Canadian biz.

"We have decided after almost three weeks of trying and getting no response we decided that the best course of action at the moment is to release a full advisory," Rathaus said of the decision to go public despite no help from the vendor.

In the meantime, Rathaus is advising admins to try as best they can to cut off any remote access to the administration tool: make sure it's behind a firewall, at least, and away from rogue internal users.

News URL

https://go.theregister.co.uk/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2020/05/01/netsweeper_filtering_flaw/