CVE-2007-3805 in CorePlus
Summary
by MITRE
The IKE implementation in Clavister CorePlus before 8.80.03, and 8.80.00, does not properly validate certificates during IKE negotiation, which allows remote attackers cause a denial of service (gateway stop) via certain certificates.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-3805 affects the IKE implementation within Clavister CorePlus software versions prior to 8.80.03 and 8.80.00, representing a critical flaw in the Internet Key Exchange protocol handling that enables remote attackers to disrupt gateway operations. This issue stems from insufficient certificate validation mechanisms during the IKE negotiation process, which forms the foundation of secure communication establishment in IPsec networks. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate validation phase where the system fails to properly authenticate and verify the legitimacy of certificates presented during the initial handshake, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors.
The technical nature of this flaw falls under CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a failure in the authentication mechanism that should ensure only legitimate certificates are accepted during the IKE negotiation. When remote attackers present specially crafted certificates during the IKE negotiation process, the system's inadequate validation logic fails to detect the malicious or malformed certificates, allowing the attacker to proceed with the negotiation process. This improper validation leads to a cascading failure where the system's internal state becomes corrupted or overwhelmed, ultimately resulting in the gateway stopping its operations entirely. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient input validation and authentication checks that should occur during cryptographic protocol negotiations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can effectively disable critical network security infrastructure that relies on IKE for secure communications. When the gateway stops operating due to this vulnerability, network connectivity and security policies implemented through Clavister CorePlus become compromised, potentially exposing the network to unauthorized access and other security threats. The denial of service condition affects not only the immediate availability of the security gateway but can also impact downstream network services that depend on the secure communication channels established through IKE. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on IPsec-based VPN solutions and require continuous availability of their network security infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading to Clavister CorePlus version 8.80.03 or later, which includes proper certificate validation mechanisms that address the identified flaw. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual certificate exchange patterns during IKE negotiations and establish incident response procedures to quickly address potential exploitation attempts. Security configurations should include enhanced certificate validation policies that enforce stricter checking of certificate attributes and chain validation. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing redundant security gateways and failover mechanisms to minimize the impact of potential exploitation attempts, ensuring that network availability is maintained even if individual gateways are compromised. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper cryptographic protocol implementation and the critical need for thorough validation of security parameters in network infrastructure software.