CVE-2012-4555 in Certificate System
Summary
by MITRE
The token processing system (pki-tps) in Red Hat Certificate System (RHCS) before 8.1.3 does not properly handle interruptions of token format operations, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and Apache httpd web server child process crash) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4555 resides within the token processing system component known as pki-tps in Red Hat Certificate System versions prior to 8.1.3. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the system's ability to manage token format operations, specifically when these operations encounter unexpected interruptions. The affected component serves as a crucial element in the certificate management infrastructure, handling token processing requests that are fundamental to secure authentication and authorization processes within enterprise environments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as a failure to properly handle interruptions during token format operations, leading to a NULL pointer dereference condition. This type of error occurs when the system attempts to access memory through a pointer that has not been properly initialized or has been set to NULL. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered remotely through unspecified vectors, meaning attackers do not require physical access or elevated privileges to exploit the vulnerability. The NULL pointer dereference ultimately results in a crash of the Apache httpd web server child process, which forms the backbone of the web interface for certificate system operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can lead to complete denial of service conditions within the certificate management infrastructure. When Apache httpd child processes crash repeatedly, the entire certificate system becomes unavailable to legitimate users, potentially affecting thousands of systems that depend on certificate-based authentication and secure communications. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA triad and can severely compromise business continuity for organizations relying on certificate infrastructure for secure operations. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target the system from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with public-facing certificate services.
The root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-476, which describes NULL pointer dereference conditions that occur when a null value is used in a context where a valid pointer is expected. This weakness falls under the broader category of improper handling of exceptional conditions, which is a common pattern in software development where error conditions are not properly anticipated or managed. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1499.004 for network denial of service and T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the security patch released by Red Hat for version 8.1.3 and ensuring proper input validation and error handling mechanisms are in place. Additional defensive measures should include network segmentation to limit access to certificate system components, implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts, and conducting regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in related systems. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of robust error handling in security-critical systems and the potential for seemingly minor flaws to result in significant operational disruptions.