CVE-2008-1676 in Certificate Management System
Summary
by MITRE
Red Hat PKI Common Framework (rhpki-common) in Red Hat Certificate System (aka Certificate Server or RHCS) 7.1 through 7.3, and Netscape Certificate Management System 6.x, does not recognize Certificate Authority profile constraints on Extensions, which might allow remote attackers to bypass intended restrictions and conduct man-in-the-middle attacks by submitting a certificate signing request (CSR) and using the resulting certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-1676 represents a critical flaw in the certificate management infrastructure of Red Hat Certificate System and Netscape Certificate Management System versions 7.1 through 7.3. This issue stems from the improper handling of Certificate Authority profile constraints within the Common Framework component, specifically affecting how the system processes certificate extensions during the certificate signing request validation process. The flaw exists in the validation logic that should enforce profile constraints but fails to properly check extension parameters, creating a security gap that undermines the integrity of the certificate issuance process.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient validation of certificate extensions within the CA profile constraint enforcement mechanism. When a certificate signing request is submitted, the system should verify that all extensions conform to the predefined profile constraints established by the Certificate Authority. However, the rhpki-common framework fails to properly validate these extensions, allowing malicious actors to include unauthorized extensions in their certificate requests. This validation failure occurs at the framework level where profile constraints should be enforced but are instead bypassed, creating a pathway for attackers to manipulate certificate properties without proper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant and multifaceted, particularly in environments where certificate-based authentication and encryption are critical for security. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks by submitting carefully crafted certificate requests that include extensions not permitted by the CA profile constraints. This enables attackers to obtain certificates with extended capabilities or properties that should have been restricted, potentially allowing them to impersonate legitimate services or users within the certificate infrastructure. The vulnerability essentially undermines the trust model that certificate authorities establish, as it allows unauthorized certificate properties to be included in issued certificates.
The security implications extend beyond simple certificate manipulation to encompass broader trust and authentication failures within the affected systems. An attacker could potentially obtain certificates with extended key usage extensions or other certificate attributes that grant them unauthorized access to protected resources. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-264, which addresses permissions, privileges, and access controls, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for credentials from password storage, as compromised certificates can serve as unauthorized access credentials within secure environments. The flaw particularly affects systems where certificate-based authentication is used for network security, application security, and identity management purposes.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of Red Hat Certificate System or Netscape Certificate Management System, reviewing existing certificate issuance policies, and implementing additional monitoring for suspicious certificate requests. The recommended approach involves ensuring that all certificate authorities properly enforce profile constraints on certificate extensions, implementing stricter validation procedures, and conducting comprehensive audits of issued certificates to identify any potentially compromised certificates. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing certificate pinning mechanisms and enhanced certificate monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation of this vulnerability in their environments.