CVE-2004-0590 in Openswan
Summary
by MITRE
FreeS/WAN 1.x and 2.x, and other related products including superfreeswan 1.x, openswan 1.x before 1.0.6, openswan 2.x before 2.1.4, and strongSwan before 2.1.3, allows remote attackers to authenticate using spoofed PKCS#7 certificates in which a self-signed certificate identifies an alternate Certificate Authority (CA) and spoofed issuer and subject.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2019
This vulnerability exists in various IPsec implementations including FreeS/WAN 1.x and 2.x, superfreeswan 1.x, openswan 1.x before 1.0.6, openswan 2.x before 2.1.4, and strongSwan before 2.1.3. The flaw stems from insufficient certificate validation mechanisms that fail to properly verify the authenticity of PKCS#7 certificates used in the authentication process. Attackers can exploit this weakness by presenting spoofed certificates that appear legitimate but actually contain forged issuer and subject information, allowing them to masquerade as authorized entities within the IPsec network infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a failure in the certificate chain validation process where the system accepts self-signed certificates that claim to represent alternate Certificate Authorities without proper cryptographic verification. This represents a direct violation of certificate validation standards and creates a trust relationship that should not exist. The flaw specifically affects the certificate verification routines that should ensure certificate authenticity through proper signature validation and CA chain tracing. According to CWE-310, this constitutes a cryptographic weakness that allows for certificate forgery and man-in-the-middle attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it undermines the fundamental security model of IPsec implementations. Remote attackers can establish unauthorized connections within secured networks, potentially gaining access to sensitive data and systems. The attack vector allows for authentication bypass without requiring local access or credentials, making it particularly dangerous in network security contexts. This vulnerability directly enables credential theft, unauthorized network access, and potential data exfiltration. The attack can be executed from any location capable of reaching the target IPsec service, making it a critical concern for organizations relying on IPsec for network security.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the affected software, such as openswan 1.0.6 and 2.1.4, and strongSwan 2.1.3 or later. Network administrators should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious certificate validation events and ensure proper certificate management practices are followed. The mitigation strategy should include disabling insecure certificate validation modes and implementing strict certificate chain validation requirements. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1556.003 for credential harvesting and T1046 for network service scanning, making it a critical target for both defensive and offensive security teams. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate pinning mechanisms and additional network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.