CVE-2012-5818 in ElephantDrive
Summary
by MITRE
ElephantDrive 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5818 affects ElephantDrive software, a cloud storage synchronization client that implements SSL/TLS encryption for secure data transmission. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's certificate validation mechanism, specifically targeting the server hostname verification process that should occur during SSL/TLS handshakes. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate that the SSL certificate presented by the server corresponds to the expected hostname, creating a significant security gap that adversaries can exploit to compromise the integrity of encrypted communications.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's implementation of SSL certificate validation, where ElephantDrive neglects to perform proper hostname matching against the certificate's subject common name or subject alternative name fields. This omission allows attackers to conduct successful man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting a valid SSL certificate that has been issued for a different domain or hostname. The vulnerability directly violates the fundamental security principle of certificate pinning and hostname verification that is essential for preventing certificate forgery attacks. According to the CWE database, this corresponds to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of insufficient certificate validation that undermines the trust model of SSL/TLS communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it enables attackers to intercept and potentially modify data transmitted between the ElephantDrive client and its servers without detection. An attacker positioned between the client and server can present a valid certificate for a domain they control, and the ElephantDrive application will accept this certificate as legitimate due to the missing hostname validation. This allows for passive data interception, active data manipulation, and potential credential theft if the application handles authentication tokens or sensitive information over the encrypted channel. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be executed without requiring the attacker to have access to the legitimate certificate authority's private keys, as the validation process itself is fundamentally flawed.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation procedures within the ElephantDrive application. The software must be updated to enforce strict hostname matching against both the common name field and subject alternative name fields of presented certificates, ensuring that the certificate's domain name aligns with the expected server hostname. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as certificate pinning, where specific certificate fingerprints are hardcoded into the application to prevent acceptance of unauthorized certificates. This vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through man-in-the-middle attacks, highlighting the broader security implications of inadequate certificate validation in client applications. The fix should also incorporate industry best practices for SSL/TLS implementation as outlined in NIST SP 800-52 and RFC 6125, ensuring that all certificate validation checks are performed correctly to maintain the integrity of encrypted communications.