CVE-2014-3566 in Endeca Server
Summary
by MITRE
The SSL protocol 3.0, as used in OpenSSL through 1.0.1i and other products, uses nondeterministic CBC padding, which makes it easier for man-in-the-middle attackers to obtain cleartext data via a padding-oracle attack, aka the "POODLE" issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3566 represents a critical weakness in the Secure Sockets Layer protocol version 3.0 that affected numerous cryptographic implementations including OpenSSL through version 1.0.1i. This flaw stems from the protocol's handling of Cipher Block Chaining padding mechanisms, creating exploitable conditions that significantly compromise secure communications. The vulnerability has been classified under CWE-119 as a weakness related to memory safety and improper handling of cryptographic padding, making it particularly dangerous for applications relying on SSL 3.0 for secure data transmission.
The technical implementation of SSL 3.0 incorporates a deterministic padding scheme that should theoretically provide consistent block alignment for encrypted data. However, the protocol's implementation introduces nondeterministic behavior in the padding validation process, creating what security researchers termed a padding-oracle attack vector. This occurs because the protocol reveals information about the validity of padding through error responses, allowing attackers to systematically determine the plaintext content through repeated decryption attempts. The vulnerability operates by exploiting the predictable nature of how padding errors are handled during the decryption process, where different error responses provide attackers with information needed to reconstruct the original plaintext.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data exposure, as it fundamentally undermines the confidentiality guarantees that SSL 3.0 was designed to provide. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against secure connections, potentially decrypting sensitive information including authentication credentials, personal data, and business-critical communications. The vulnerability affects a wide range of systems including web servers, email clients, and network appliances that support SSL 3.0, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with legacy systems or those that have not properly updated their cryptographic implementations. This weakness aligns with techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1071.001 tactic for application layer protocol usage, specifically targeting secure communication protocols.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3566 primarily involve disabling SSL 3.0 support across all affected systems and upgrading to more secure protocols such as TLS 1.0 or higher. Organizations should implement comprehensive network scanning to identify systems still supporting SSL 3.0 and ensure that cryptographic libraries are updated to versions that either disable SSL 3.0 entirely or properly handle the padding validation process. Security teams should also consider implementing network-level controls that prevent SSL 3.0 connections from being established, as the vulnerability cannot be fully remediated through application-level patches alone. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of protocol-level security considerations and the necessity of maintaining up-to-date cryptographic implementations to prevent exploitation of fundamental design flaws in security protocols.