CVE-2012-5819 in FilesAnywhere
Summary
by MITRE
FilesAnywhere 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-2012-5819 affects FilesAnywhere software and represents a critical SSL/TLS certificate validation flaw that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by secure communications protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly implement hostname verification during SSL/TLS handshakes, creating a significant attack vector that can be exploited by malicious actors seeking to compromise secure data transfers. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate validation process where the system should confirm that the server's certificate matches the domain name being accessed, but instead accepts any valid certificate regardless of hostname alignment.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's SSL certificate validation routine which operates outside the established security standards for secure communications. According to the x509 certificate standard and industry best practices, proper SSL validation requires verification of the certificate's subject common name or subject alternative name fields against the target hostname. This validation process is crucial for preventing man-in-the-middle attacks and ensuring that clients are communicating with the intended server rather than an attacker's spoofed endpoint. The absence of this verification creates a scenario where attackers can generate valid certificates for arbitrary domains and successfully impersonate legitimate FilesAnywhere servers.
This vulnerability directly enables man-in-the-middle attacks through the exploitation of the SSL certificate validation weakness, allowing attackers to intercept and potentially modify communications between clients and the FilesAnywhere server. The impact extends beyond simple data interception to include potential data manipulation, credential theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive information stored or transmitted through the affected system. Security professionals categorize this type of vulnerability under CWE-295 which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which covers "Network Service Scanning' and T1566 which covers 'Phishing with Social Engineering' as attackers can leverage this weakness to establish fraudulent secure connections that appear legitimate to end users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for organizations relying on FilesAnywhere for secure file transfer and collaboration services. Any data transmitted through the affected system could be compromised, including sensitive business information, personal data, and proprietary content. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality assurances that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide, essentially rendering the encryption layer ineffective against determined attackers. Organizations may experience regulatory compliance issues, financial losses, and reputational damage if their systems are successfully compromised through this vulnerability, as the attack can occur without detection by standard security monitoring systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-5819 require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation procedures within the FilesAnywhere application. Organizations should ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform hostname verification against certificate subject fields, implementing proper certificate validation routines that comply with RFC 2818 and RFC 6125 standards. System administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious SSL certificate usage and establish regular security audits to verify that certificate validation is functioning correctly. Patch management procedures must be prioritized to ensure that affected FilesAnywhere installations receive appropriate updates that address the certificate validation flaw, while network security controls such as certificate pinning can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities.