CVE-2007-6746 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE
telepathy-idle before 0.1.15 does not verify (1) that the issuer is a trusted CA, (2) that the server hostname matches a domain name in the subject s Common Name (CN), or (3) the expiration date of the X.509 certificate, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof SSL servers via an arbitrary valid certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6746 affects telepathy-idle versions prior to 0.1.15 and represents a critical weakness in the SSL/TLS certificate validation process. This flaw resides in the telepathy-idle library which is part of the Telepathy framework used for instant messaging and communication services on Linux systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient certificate verification mechanisms that fail to perform essential security checks during SSL/TLS handshakes.
The technical flaw manifests in three critical areas of certificate validation where the telepathy-idle library neglects to verify the certificate authority trust chain, hostname matching, and certificate expiration dates. Specifically the library does not confirm that the certificate issuer is a trusted Certificate Authority which allows attackers to use certificates issued by untrusted or malicious CAs. Additionally the system fails to validate that the server hostname matches the domain name specified in the certificate's Common Name field, enabling hostname spoofing attacks. The third critical failure is the absence of certificate expiration date checking, which allows attackers to use expired certificates that should normally be rejected.
This vulnerability creates significant operational impact by enabling man-in-the-middle attacks where malicious actors can impersonate legitimate SSL servers using valid certificates from trusted CAs. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust model of SSL/TLS certificates, allowing attackers to intercept and potentially modify communications between clients and servers without detection. This weakness compromises the confidentiality and integrity of communications, as users may unknowingly establish secure connections with malicious servers that appear legitimate.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. Organizations using telepathy-idle for instant messaging services face substantial risk of data interception, session hijacking, and potential credential theft. The attack requires minimal sophistication as it exploits the fundamental trust assumptions in SSL/TLS implementations.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate upgrading to telepathy-idle version 0.1.15 or later where proper certificate validation has been implemented. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious certificate usage patterns and consider deploying certificate pinning mechanisms where possible. Network segmentation and intrusion detection systems can help detect anomalous certificate validation behavior. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of all applications using telepathy-idle to ensure proper SSL/TLS implementation and verify that certificate validation occurs at all communication endpoints. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate transparency monitoring to detect unauthorized certificate issuance for their domains.