CVE-2014-0627 in RSA BSAFE SSL-J
Summary
by MITRE
The SSLEngine API implementation in EMC RSA BSAFE SSL-J 5.x before 5.1.3 and 6.x before 6.0.2 allows remote attackers to trigger the selection of a weak cipher suite by using the wrap method during a certain incomplete-handshake state.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/20/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0627 affects the SSLEngine API implementation within EMC RSA BSAFE SSL-J versions 5.x prior to 5.1.3 and 6.x prior to 6.0.2. This weakness resides in the cryptographic library's handling of SSL/TLS handshake processes, specifically during incomplete handshake states where the system fails to properly validate cipher suite selection. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that allow remote attackers to manipulate the cryptographic negotiation process through the wrap method, which is a core component of SSL/TLS encryption operations. The flaw represents a critical security gap in the cryptographic implementation that undermines the integrity of the secure communication channel.
The technical execution of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker can influence the cipher suite selection process during an incomplete handshake state. During the SSL/TLS handshake, the system should enforce strict validation of available cipher suites to ensure only strong cryptographic algorithms are selected. However, the BSAFE SSL-J implementation fails to properly validate the cipher suite selection when the wrap method is invoked during incomplete handshake states. This allows adversaries to potentially force the system into using weaker cipher suites that are more susceptible to cryptographic attacks, effectively weakening the security posture of the encrypted communications. The vulnerability specifically targets the SSLEngine API which is responsible for managing the cryptographic operations during SSL/TLS handshakes and data encryption.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes systems using affected EMC RSA BSAFE SSL-J versions to significant security risks including potential man-in-the-middle attacks and cryptographic downgrade attacks. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can force the use of weak cipher suites that may be vulnerable to various cryptographic attacks such as those targeting weak encryption algorithms or insufficient key lengths. The impact extends beyond individual system compromises to potentially affect entire communication infrastructures that rely on the affected cryptographic library. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that depend on EMC RSA BSAFE SSL-J for secure communication implementations, potentially compromising sensitive data transmission and authentication processes. The weakness can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments.
The remediation for CVE-2014-0627 requires immediate deployment of patches or updates to EMC RSA BSAFE SSL-J versions 5.1.3 and 6.0.2 respectively, which contain the necessary fixes to properly validate cipher suite selection during incomplete handshake states. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider temporary mitigation strategies such as enforcing stronger cipher suite preferences at the application level. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems utilizing the affected library versions and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-327 which addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms and CWE-325 which covers the lack of cryptographic validation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1071.001 for application layer protocol usage and T1566 for social engineering techniques that could leverage weak encryption to gain unauthorized access to sensitive communications. Organizations should also review their cryptographic implementation practices and ensure proper adherence to security standards such as NIST SP 800-52 for cryptographic key management and TLS protocol implementation guidelines.