CVE-2010-0742 in OpenSSL
Summary
by MITRE
The Cryptographic Message Syntax (CMS) implementation in crypto/cms/cms_asn1.c in OpenSSL before 0.9.8o and 1.x before 1.0.0a does not properly handle structures that contain OriginatorInfo, which allows context-dependent attackers to modify invalid memory locations or conduct double-free attacks, and possibly execute arbitrary code, via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-0742 represents a critical flaw in OpenSSL's implementation of the Cryptographic Message Syntax standard, which is fundamental to secure communications protocols. This issue affects OpenSSL versions prior to 0.9.8o and 1.x versions before 1.0.0a, making it a widespread concern across numerous systems that rely on OpenSSL for cryptographic operations. The vulnerability specifically targets the CMS ASN.1 parsing functionality located in the crypto/cms/cms_asn1.c file, which processes cryptographic messages that include OriginatorInfo structures.
The technical flaw stems from improper handling of ASN.1 structures containing OriginatorInfo elements within the CMS implementation. When OpenSSL processes these structures, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the memory operations associated with the OriginatorInfo field, leading to potential memory corruption scenarios. This improper memory handling creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate invalid memory locations through carefully crafted CMS messages. The vulnerability manifests as a potential double-free condition, where the same memory block may be freed twice, causing undefined behavior that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it enables context-dependent attackers to leverage the flaw for remote code execution. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability through unspecified vectors that involve sending specially crafted CMS messages to systems using vulnerable OpenSSL implementations. The nature of the vulnerability means that successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain control over affected systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This risk is particularly concerning given OpenSSL's widespread adoption across web servers, email systems, and other security-critical infrastructure components.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation leading to memory corruption. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under privilege escalation and code execution techniques, as it allows attackers to move from initial access to system control. Organizations using vulnerable OpenSSL versions face significant risk, as the vulnerability can be exploited without requiring authentication or specialized knowledge of the target system. The remediation strategy involves updating to OpenSSL versions 0.9.8o or later, or 1.0.0a and later, respectively, which contain the necessary patches to properly handle OriginatorInfo structures and prevent the memory corruption scenarios that enable exploitation. Security administrators should prioritize this update across all systems that utilize OpenSSL for cryptographic operations, particularly those handling sensitive communications or serving as security infrastructure components.