CVE-2012-0655 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
libsecurity in Apple Mac OS X before 10.7.4 does not properly restrict the length of RSA keys within X.509 certificates, which makes it easier for remote attackers to defeat cryptographic protection mechanisms by conducting a spoofing or network-sniffing attack during communication with a site that uses a short key.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-0655 represents a critical weakness in Apple Mac OS X operating systems prior to version 10.7.4, specifically within the libsecurity framework that handles cryptographic operations and certificate validation. This flaw resides in the X.509 certificate processing functionality where the system fails to properly enforce length restrictions on RSA key sizes embedded within digital certificates. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation mechanisms that should have enforced minimum security requirements for cryptographic keys used in secure communications.
The technical implementation flaw allows attackers to exploit the insufficient key length validation by presenting specially crafted X.509 certificates containing RSA keys that fall below the accepted security thresholds. This weakness creates a pathway for man-in-the-middle attacks where adversaries can manipulate certificate validation processes to accept compromised certificates with weak cryptographic parameters. The vulnerability specifically impacts the cryptographic protection mechanisms that rely on RSA key strength to maintain secure communications, effectively undermining the security assurances that users expect from SSL/TLS connections and other cryptographic protocols.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability significantly increases the attack surface for remote adversaries conducting network-sniffing operations or spoofing attacks against Mac OS X systems. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform certificate substitution attacks where they present certificates with insufficient RSA key lengths that the system would otherwise reject but due to the flawed validation logic, accepts. This creates a scenario where users might unknowingly establish secure connections with compromised entities, potentially leading to data interception, session hijacking, or other cryptographic attacks that compromise the confidentiality and integrity of network communications.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-327, which addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms and insufficient key lengths in security implementations. Additionally, this weakness maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1046 for network service scanning, T1557 for credential access through network sniffing, and T1071 for application layer protocol usage. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in certificate validation logic that should have enforced cryptographic security policies as mandated by industry standards such as NIST SP 800-57 and RFC 5280.
Organizations and system administrators should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading affected Mac OS X systems to version 10.7.4 or later, where Apple has addressed the certificate validation logic to properly enforce RSA key length requirements. Network monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect anomalous certificate exchanges that might indicate exploitation attempts, while security policies should be updated to enforce minimum cryptographic strength requirements for all certificate-based communications. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing of certificate validation procedures to ensure that cryptographic parameters meet industry-accepted minimums for key length and algorithm strength, particularly for RSA keys used in SSL/TLS implementations.