CVE-2015-0543 in Secure Remote Services Virtual Edition
Summary
by MITRE
EMC Secure Remote Services Virtual Edition (ESRS VE) 3.x before 3.06 does not properly verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information via a crafted certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0543 affects EMC Secure Remote Services Virtual Edition version 3.x prior to 3.06, representing a critical weakness in the SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This flaw resides in the virtual edition implementation of the secure remote services platform, which is designed to provide remote management capabilities for EMC storage systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient certificate validation procedures that fail to properly authenticate the identity of SSL servers during the connection establishment process. Security researchers have classified this as a man-in-the-middle attack vector where malicious actors can exploit the weak certificate verification to impersonate legitimate servers and intercept sensitive communications. The affected version range indicates that organizations running ESRS VE 3.x versions below 3.06 remain vulnerable to this specific attack pattern, making it a significant concern for enterprise environments that rely on secure remote management protocols.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the certificate validation logic where the system does not adequately check the certificate chain, subject alternative names, or other critical certificate attributes that should confirm server authenticity. This weakness falls under the broader category of cryptographic failures and specifically relates to CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation in SSL/TLS implementations. The vulnerability allows attackers to present a crafted certificate that appears legitimate to the ESRS VE client, bypassing the normal certificate verification procedures that should prevent such impersonation attempts. When the client accepts this fraudulent certificate, it establishes a connection with the attacker-controlled server rather than the intended legitimate server, enabling the attacker to eavesdrop on communications, inject malicious data, or perform other unauthorized activities within the network. The flaw essentially undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by SSL/TLS protocols, creating a pathway for attackers to compromise the integrity and confidentiality of remote management sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential system compromise and unauthorized access to critical infrastructure. Organizations utilizing ESRS VE 3.x versions below 3.06 face significant risks when managing their storage environments remotely, as the attacker could gain access to administrative credentials, system configurations, and potentially sensitive data stored within the managed storage arrays. The vulnerability affects the remote management capabilities that are essential for maintaining storage infrastructure, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to escalate privileges or conduct lateral movement within the network. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which involves network service scanning and T1566 which covers credential harvesting through social engineering or network attacks. The attack surface is particularly concerning for enterprise environments where remote management is frequently used and where the compromise of management interfaces can lead to broader system infiltration.
Organizations should immediately implement remediation measures including upgrading to ESRS VE version 3.06 or later, which contains the necessary certificate verification fixes. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any systems running vulnerable versions and ensure proper certificate management practices are in place. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unusual certificate validation patterns or attempts to establish connections with unexpected certificate authorities. The remediation process should include validating that the upgrade process maintains existing configurations and that proper certificate validation is enforced post-upgrade. Additionally, organizations should review their certificate management policies to ensure that only trusted certificate authorities are permitted and that certificate pinning mechanisms are implemented where appropriate. This vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current security patches and the critical need for proper certificate validation in all SSL/TLS implementations to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise entire infrastructure management systems.