CVE-2014-3394 in ASA
Summary
by MITRE • 01/25/2023
The Smart Call Home (SCH) implementation in Cisco ASA Software 8.2 before 8.2(5.50), 8.4 before 8.4(7.15), 8.6 before 8.6(1.14), 8.7 before 8.7(1.13), 9.0 before 9.0(4.8), and 9.1 before 9.1(5.1) allows remote attackers to bypass certificate validation via an arbitrary VeriSign certificate, aka Bug ID CSCun10916.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-3394 represents a critical certificate validation bypass flaw within Cisco's Smart Call Home implementation across multiple software versions. This weakness resides in the Secure Socket Layer certificate verification process that Cisco ASA appliances use to establish secure communications with remote management systems. The flaw specifically affects versions of Cisco ASA Software where the certificate validation mechanism fails to properly verify the authenticity of digital certificates presented during secure connections, creating a pathway for malicious actors to establish fraudulent communications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper certificate validation logic within the Smart Call Home feature, which is designed to enable automated security notifications and remote management capabilities. Attackers can exploit this weakness by presenting an arbitrary VeriSign certificate, effectively bypassing the normal certificate chain validation procedures that should ensure only legitimate certificates are accepted. This particular flaw operates at the transport layer security validation level, where the system should be verifying certificate authenticity through established cryptographic mechanisms but instead accepts certificates without proper verification. The vulnerability falls under the category of weak cryptographic practices and improper certificate validation as defined by CWE-295, which addresses issues related to certificate validation failures in security protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it allows remote attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against the Smart Call Home communications channel. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially intercept, modify, or redirect security notifications and management communications between the Cisco ASA appliance and Cisco's remote management servers. This compromise could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive network information, potential data exfiltration, and the ability to manipulate security alerts that are critical for network monitoring and incident response. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access to the network infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network security is paramount. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS and T1566.001 for Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment, as attackers could use this weakness to establish unauthorized communication channels.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including applying the appropriate Cisco software updates and patches that address the certificate validation bypass issue. The recommended remediation strategy involves upgrading to the patched versions of Cisco ASA Software that contain corrected certificate validation logic. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring controls to detect anomalous communications patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The patching process should be carefully planned to minimize network disruption while ensuring all affected systems receive the necessary security updates. Additionally, organizations should review their certificate management policies and implement more robust certificate validation procedures to prevent similar issues in other network components. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper certificate validation in security-critical applications and demonstrates how weaknesses in cryptographic validation can create significant security risks for enterprise network infrastructure.