Clientless SSL VPN products break web browser domain-based security models

Description

Multiple clientless SSL VPN products that run in web browsers, including Stonesoft StoneGate; Cisco ASA; SonicWALL E-Class SSL VPN and SonicWALL SSL VPN; SafeNet SecureWire Access Gateway; Juniper Networks Secure Access; Nortel CallPilot; Citrix Access Gateway; and other products, when running in configurations that do not restrict access to the same domain as the VPN, retrieve the content of remote URLs from one domain and rewrite them so they originate from the VPN's domain, which violates the same origin policy and allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site scripting attacks, read cookies that originated from other domains, access the Web VPN session to gain access to internal resources, perform key logging, and conduct other attacks. NOTE: it could be argued that this is a fundamental design problem in any clientless VPN solution, as opposed to a commonly-introduced error that can be fixed in separate implementations. Therefore a single CVE has been assigned for all products that have this design

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

4.8% · top 8.0% of all CVEs (6 Nov 2026)

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 6.8.

Weakness

• CWE-284: Improper Access Control (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-284 and its CVEs
• CWE-264 (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-264 and its CVEs

Affected products

• Cisco · Adaptive Security Appliance Web SSL VPN

  • affected *

• Palo Alto · PAN OS Web SSL VPN

  • affected *

References (25)

• CERT/CC Advisory (opens in a new tab)
• Vendor-Advisory (opens in a new tab)
• 37786 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
• http://www116.nortel.com/pub/repository/CLARIFY/DOCUMENT/2009/50/025367-01.pdf (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• 20091202 Same-origin policy bypass vulnerabilities in several VPN products reported (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
• http://support.nortel.com/go/main.jsp?cscat=BLTNDETAIL&DocumentOID=984744 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• VU#261869 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_CERT-VNx_transferred
• 37152 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
• http://www.stonesoft.com/en/support/security_advisories/2009_03_12.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• ADV-2009-3569 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
• 20060608 SSL VPNs and security (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_FULLDISCx_transferred
• 1023255 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_SECTRACKx_transferred
• ADV-2009-3571 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
• 20060609 Re: SSL VPNs and security (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_FULLDISCx_transferred
• 37788 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
• 37696 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred
• http://www.sonicwall.com/us/2123_14882.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• http://www.sonicwall.com/us/2123_14883.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• ADV-2009-3570 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
• sslvpn-sameorigin-security-bypass(54523) (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_XFx_transferred
• http://kb.juniper.net/KB15799 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
• 20060609 Re: SSL VPNs and security (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_FULLDISCx_transferred
• ADV-2009-3568 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
• ADV-2009-3567 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_VUPENx_transferred
• 37789 (opens in a new tab)third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIAx_transferred

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Badge for a README or a ticket

[![CVE-2009-2631](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2009-2631.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2009-2631)

Record last updated 16 Jun 2025, 20:54 UTC.