Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in pfSense before 2.2.3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) srctrack, (2) use_mfs_tmp_size, or (3) use_mfs_var_size parameter to system_advanced_misc.php; the (4) port, (5) snaplen, or (6) count parameter to diag_packet_capture.php; the (7) pppoe_resethour, (8) pppoe_resetminute, (9) wpa_group_rekey, or (10) wpa_gmk_rekey parameter to interfaces.php; the (11) pppoe_resethour or (12) pppoe_resetminute parameter to interfaces_ppps_edit.php; the (13) member[] parameter to interfaces_qinq_edit.php; the (14) port or (15) retry parameter to load_balancer_pool_edit.php; the (16) pkgrepourl parameter to pkg_mgr_settings.php; the (17) zone parameter to services_captiveportal.php; the port parameter to (18) services_dnsmasq.php or (19) services_unbound.php; the (20) cache_max_ttl or (21) cache_min_ttl parameter to services_unbound_advanced.php; the (22) sshport parameter to system_advanced_admin.php; the (23) id, (24) tunable, (25) descr, or (26) value parameter to system_advanced_sysctl.php; the (27) firmwareurl, (28) repositoryurl, or (29) branch parameter to system_firmware_settings.php; the (30) pfsyncpeerip, (31) synchronizetoip, (32) username, or (33) passwordfld parameter to system_hasync.php; the (34) maxmss parameter to vpn_ipsec_settings.php; the (35) ntp_server1, (36) ntp_server2, (37) wins_server1, or (38) wins_server2 parameter to vpn_openvpn_csc.php; or unspecified parameters to (39) load_balancer_relay_action.php, (40) load_balancer_relay_action_edit.php, (41) load_balancer_relay_protocol.php, or (42) load_balancer_relay_protocol_edit.php.
| Software | From | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| netgate / pfsense | - | 2.2.2.x |
A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.
CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.
A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.
Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.
Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.
SynScan combines attack surface monitoring and continuous security auditing to keep your inventory current, flag high-impact vulnerabilities early, and help you turn raw findings into a practical remediation plan.