CVE-2012-5801 in Ebay
Summary
by MITRE
The PayPal module in PrestaShop does not verify that the server hostname matches a domain name in the subject s Common Name (CN) or subjectAltName field of the X.509 certificate, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof SSL servers via an arbitrary valid certificate, related to use of the PHP fsockopen function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5801 represents a critical SSL certificate validation flaw within the PayPal payment module of PrestaShop e-commerce platform. This issue stems from improper SSL certificate verification mechanisms that fail to properly validate the hostname against the certificate's subject common name or subject alternative name fields. The vulnerability specifically affects the PHP fsockopen function implementation within the PrestaShop PayPal module, creating a significant security gap that enables malicious actors to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks. The flaw allows attackers to impersonate legitimate SSL servers by presenting arbitrary valid certificates, effectively bypassing the intended security protections that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates at the SSL/TLS certificate validation layer where the system should enforce hostname verification as mandated by industry standards. The absence of proper hostname validation means that the PrestaShop module accepts any valid SSL certificate without confirming that it belongs to the intended server domain. This weakness directly violates the principles outlined in CWE-295, which addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and creates a pathway for attackers to establish fraudulent connections. The vulnerability manifests when the module uses fsockopen to establish SSL connections for PayPal transactions, failing to implement proper SSL context options that would validate the certificate against the expected hostname. This validation failure enables attackers to intercept and manipulate payment data during transmission between customers and the payment processor.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of payment transactions within PrestaShop stores. Attackers can exploit this weakness to steal sensitive customer payment information, including credit card details and personal identifiers, during the checkout process. The vulnerability affects not only the immediate payment processing but also undermines consumer trust in the e-commerce platform. Organizations using affected PrestaShop versions face significant risk of financial loss, regulatory compliance violations, and reputational damage. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal technical expertise to exploit, making it attractive to cybercriminals. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel," and T1566, which addresses "Phishing," as it enables attackers to capture payment credentials through compromised SSL connections.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the PrestaShop PayPal module to implement proper SSL certificate validation. Organizations should ensure that all SSL connections use proper hostname verification by configuring SSL context options that enforce certificate validation against the expected hostname. The recommended approach involves implementing proper SSL context settings using PHP's stream_context_create function with appropriate verification parameters. System administrators should also consider implementing additional network-level security controls such as SSL pinning, certificate transparency monitoring, and regular security audits of third-party modules. Organizations must also review their overall SSL/TLS configuration practices and ensure compliance with industry standards including those outlined in NIST SP 800-57 and RFC 6125. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar validation flaws in other components of the e-commerce platform. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper certificate validation in maintaining secure communications, particularly in payment processing environments where financial data protection is paramount.