CVE-2000-0678 in PGP
Summary
by MITRE
PGP 5.5.x through 6.5.3 does not properly check if an Additional Decryption Key (ADK) is stored in the signed portion of a public certificate, which allows an attacker who can modify a victim s public certificate to decrypt any data that has been encrypted with the modified certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2000-0678 represents a critical flaw in the Pretty Good Privacy cryptographic software version 5.5.x through 6.5.3. This issue stems from improper validation of Additional Decryption Key (ADK) storage within public certificates, creating a significant security weakness that directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of encrypted communications. The flaw exists at the certificate validation layer where the system fails to properly verify the presence and integrity of ADK information within the signed certificate portions, allowing for potential man-in-the-middle attacks and unauthorized decryption capabilities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a failure in certificate signature verification processes where PGP software does not adequately validate whether an Additional Decryption Key is properly stored within the signed portion of a public certificate. When an attacker can modify a victim's public certificate, they can inject malicious ADK information that bypasses the normal verification mechanisms. This allows the attacker to decrypt data that was originally encrypted using the modified certificate, effectively undermining the entire public key encryption scheme. The vulnerability specifically affects the certificate processing logic where the system assumes that if a certificate contains ADK information, it must be valid without proper cryptographic verification of the ADK's inclusion within the signed certificate portion.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe threat to secure communications and data protection within organizations relying on PGP encryption. The ability for an attacker to modify public certificates and subsequently decrypt encrypted data represents a fundamental breach of cryptographic security principles. This vulnerability can be exploited in various attack scenarios including corporate espionage, data theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive communications. The attack vector typically involves certificate modification in transit or through compromised certificate authorities, making it particularly dangerous in environments where certificate trust relationships are critical. Organizations using affected PGP versions face significant risk of data exposure and potential compromise of their entire encrypted communication infrastructure.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in key management and certificate validation processes. This weakness directly impacts the security controls defined in NIST SP 800-57 for cryptographic key management and certificate validation. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1552, specifically targeting credential access through certificate manipulation and key compromise. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of PGP software, implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, and establishing robust certificate validation procedures. Additional security measures should include monitoring for unauthorized certificate modifications, implementing certificate transparency protocols, and ensuring proper certificate lifecycle management to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability in production environments.