CVE-2022-1700 : What You Need to Know

This article discusses the CVE-2022-1700 vulnerability in Forcepoint products, involving an improper restriction of XML external entity reference ('XXE') in the Policy Engine that could lead to an XXE attack.

Understanding CVE-2022-1700

CVE-2022-1700 is a vulnerability found in various Forcepoint products due to an improperly configured XML parser in the Policy Engine, allowing for an XXE attack.

What is CVE-2022-1700?

The vulnerability stems from an improper restriction of XML external entity reference ('XXE') in Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Forcepoint One Endpoint (F1E) with Policy Engine, Web Security Content Gateway, Email Security with DLP enabled, and Cloud Security Gateway.

The Impact of CVE-2022-1700

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 7.5, classified as HIGH severity, with a high confidentiality impact but no availability or integrity impact.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-1700

The vulnerability description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism are outlined below.

Vulnerability Description

The XML parser in the Policy Engine of affected Forcepoint products has been found to support external entities and external DTD, providing an avenue for an XXE attack.

Affected Systems and Versions

Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP) versions prior to 8.8.2, Forcepoint One Endpoint (F1E) with Policy Engine versions prior to 8.8.2, Forcepoint Web Security Content Gateway versions prior to 8.5.5, Forcepoint Email Security with DLP enabled versions prior to 8.5.5, and Forcepoint Cloud Security Gateway prior to June 20, 2022 are impacted.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allows threat actors to exploit the improperly configured XML parser to launch XXE attacks, potentially compromising data confidentiality.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2022-1700, consider the following mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade affected products to the recommended versions:

Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP) 8.8.2 or above
Forcepoint One Endpoint (F1E) with Policy Engine 8.8.2 or above
Forcepoint Web Security Content Gateway 8.5.5 or above
Forcepoint Email Security with DLP enabled 8.5.5 or above

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch Forcepoint products to ensure vulnerabilities are promptly addressed.

Patching and Updates

Refer to the official Forcepoint solutions page for detailed instructions on updating and securing the affected products.