CVE-2010-5185 in Internet Security
Summary
by MITRE
The Antivirus component in Comodo Internet Security before 5.3.174622.1216 does not check whether X.509 certificates in signed executable files have been revoked, which has unknown impact and remote attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-5185 resides within the antivirus functionality of Comodo Internet Security versions prior to 5.3.174622.1216, representing a critical flaw in certificate validation mechanisms that undermines the security posture of the affected system. This issue specifically targets the X.509 certificate validation process employed by the antivirus component when analyzing executable files, creating a significant gap in the security model that could be exploited by threat actors.
The technical flaw manifests in the absence of certificate revocation checking within the antivirus engine's signature validation process. When Comodo Internet Security encounters a signed executable file, it properly validates the X.509 certificate chain but fails to verify whether the certificate has been revoked through the Certificate Revocation List (CRL) or Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP). This omission allows malicious actors to potentially use compromised or fraudulent certificates that have been revoked for legitimate reasons, yet the antivirus software continues to accept them as valid. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a failure in certificate lifecycle management within the security software.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple certificate validation failures and creates potential attack vectors that could be leveraged for remote code execution or privilege escalation. An attacker could craft malicious executables with revoked certificates that would bypass the antivirus detection mechanisms, potentially leading to successful exploitation of other vulnerabilities or unauthorized access to systems. The unknown impact aspect suggests that the consequences could range from simple bypass of security controls to more severe compromise scenarios, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Comodo Internet Security is widely deployed. This weakness directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1556.001, which covers credential access through the exploitation of certificate validation flaws.
The implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning given that Comodo Internet Security was designed to provide comprehensive protection against malware and other security threats. The failure to implement proper certificate revocation checking creates a false sense of security for users who rely on the software's antivirus capabilities. Organizations using affected versions of Comodo Internet Security may be unknowingly allowing potentially malicious software to execute with the trust level of legitimate signed applications, effectively neutralizing one of the primary defenses against code injection attacks and malicious software distribution.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate remediation through the installation of Comodo Internet Security version 5.3.174622.1216 or later, which addresses the certificate validation gap. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious certificate usage patterns and consider implementing certificate pinning mechanisms where appropriate. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security software and underscores the need for comprehensive certificate validation that includes revocation checking as part of the overall security architecture. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify systems running affected versions and implement immediate patching procedures to eliminate this exposure window.