CVE-2015-2078 in Redirector SDK
Summary
by MITRE
The SDK for Komodia Redirector with SSL Digestor, as used in Lavasoft Ad-Aware Web Companion 1.1.885.1766 and Ad-Aware AdBlocker (alpha) 1.3.69.1, Qustodio for Windows, Atom Security, Inc. StaffCop 5.8, and other products, does not properly verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-2077.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-2078 represents a critical certificate validation flaw within SSL/TLS security implementations across multiple security products. This weakness specifically affects the Komodia Redirector SDK with SSL Digestor component that is integrated into various antivirus and security applications. The vulnerability stems from insufficient X.509 certificate verification mechanisms that fail to properly validate the authenticity and integrity of SSL servers during secure communications. This flaw creates a significant security gap that enables malicious actors to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the certificate validation logic of the affected SDK components. When applications utilizing this SDK establish SSL connections, they should verify certificate chains against trusted root authorities and validate cryptographic signatures to ensure server authenticity. However, the flawed implementation fails to perform these critical verification steps, allowing attackers to generate or obtain certificates that bypass normal validation procedures. This weakness directly maps to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and specifically targets the failure to properly validate X.509 certificates within SSL/TLS implementations. The vulnerability creates a trust boundary breach that undermines the fundamental security guarantees provided by SSL/TLS protocols.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability has severe implications for users of the affected security products. The man-in-the-middle attack capability allows adversaries to intercept and potentially modify encrypted communications between users and web servers, compromising sensitive data such as login credentials, personal information, and financial transactions. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate websites, redirect users to malicious domains, or capture session tokens and other sensitive data transmitted over HTTPS connections. The impact extends beyond individual users to organizations that rely on these security products for network protection, as the vulnerability creates a backdoor that could be leveraged for broader network infiltration. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which describes data compression and encryption for exfiltration, and T1566, which covers credential harvesting through phishing and social engineering.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from affected vendors and users. Organizations should prioritize updating their security applications to versions that include patched certificate validation logic, as the vulnerability affects multiple products from different vendors. System administrators should implement network monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior and consider deploying additional security controls such as certificate pinning for critical applications. The remediation process involves ensuring that all SSL/TLS implementations properly validate certificate chains, verify cryptographic signatures, and maintain up-to-date trust stores with recognized certificate authorities. Security teams should also conduct vulnerability assessments to identify other potential certificate validation weaknesses within their infrastructure and implement comprehensive security testing protocols to prevent similar issues in the future. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper certificate validation in maintaining secure communications and underscores the need for rigorous security testing of third-party SDK components.