CVE-2015-2434 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft XML Core Services 3.0 and 5.0 supports SSL 2.0, which makes it easier for remote attackers to defeat cryptographic protection mechanisms by sniffing the network and conducting a decryption attack, aka "MSXML Information Disclosure Vulnerability," a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-2471.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2022
The CVE-2015-2434 vulnerability affects Microsoft XML Core Services versions 3.0 and 5.0 by enabling support for SSL 2.0 protocol implementation. This represents a significant security weakness as SSL 2.0 has been deprecated for over a decade due to fundamental cryptographic flaws and known vulnerabilities. The vulnerability falls under CWE-310, which specifically addresses cryptographic weaknesses in software implementations. Microsoft XML Core Services is commonly used across various Microsoft applications and systems for parsing and processing xml data, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can affect numerous endpoints and services that rely on xml processing capabilities.
The technical flaw stems from the inclusion of SSL 2.0 support within MSXML 3.0 and 5.0 implementations, despite the protocol being inherently insecure and vulnerable to multiple attack vectors. SSL 2.0 suffers from several critical weaknesses including lack of proper key exchange mechanisms, vulnerability to man-in-the-middle attacks, and susceptibility to plaintext recovery attacks. When MSXML supports SSL 2.0, it provides an attack surface that allows remote adversaries to perform network sniffing operations and conduct decryption attacks against communications that should be protected by stronger cryptographic protocols. This weakness enables attackers to intercept and potentially decrypt sensitive data transmitted through xml-based services, effectively undermining the cryptographic protection mechanisms that organizations rely on for data security.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-2434 is substantial as it creates opportunities for information disclosure attacks that can compromise sensitive data within xml-based applications. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to perform passive network monitoring and capture encrypted communications, then apply decryption techniques to recover plaintext data. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations using older versions of Microsoft XML Core Services in their infrastructure, potentially exposing confidential business data, user credentials, or proprietary information. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as it can enable more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation and lateral movement within networks where affected systems exist. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1046 Network Service Scanning and T1071.1 Application Layer Protocol SSL/TLS, as it enables attackers to exploit weak cryptographic protocols and conduct network reconnaissance activities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2434 require immediate action to disable SSL 2.0 support within affected Microsoft XML Core Services implementations. Organizations should upgrade to newer versions of Microsoft XML Core Services that do not support SSL 2.0 protocols or apply appropriate registry modifications to disable SSL 2.0 functionality. Security administrators should also implement network monitoring to detect and block any attempts to utilize SSL 2.0 connections within their environments. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all systems running affected MSXML versions and ensure proper patch management protocols are in place. The remediation process should include configuration reviews of xml processing applications to verify that only secure cryptographic protocols such as TLS 1.2 or higher are enabled for communication channels. This vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and avoiding deprecated cryptographic protocols that can provide attackers with easy entry points into secure systems.