CVE-2015-5263 in pulp-consumer-client
Summary
by MITRE
pulp-consumer-client 2.4.0 through 2.6.3 does not check the server's TLS certificate signatures when retrieving the server's public key upon registration.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5263 affects pulp-consumer-client versions 2.4.0 through 2.6.3, representing a critical weakness in the secure communication protocols used by this package management tool. This flaw resides in the certificate validation process during the server registration phase, where the client fails to properly verify the authenticity of the server's TLS certificate signatures. The issue stems from insufficient cryptographic verification mechanisms that should normally ensure the integrity and identity of the communicating parties in secure network communications.
This technical deficiency creates a man-in-the-middle attack surface where malicious actors can potentially intercept and manipulate communications between the pulp consumer client and the server. The vulnerability specifically impacts the public key retrieval process that occurs during system registration, allowing attackers to present forged certificates that would be accepted by the client due to the missing signature verification checks. The flaw essentially undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by TLS encryption protocols, leaving systems vulnerable to credential theft, data manipulation, and unauthorized access to package repositories.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on pulp for package management and distribution. The impact extends beyond simple data integrity concerns to encompass complete system compromise potential, as attackers could gain access to sensitive package repositories and manipulate the software distribution chain. The vulnerability affects the trust model of the entire pulp ecosystem, potentially allowing attackers to inject malicious packages or redirect legitimate requests to compromised endpoints. This weakness particularly impacts environments where package integrity is paramount, such as enterprise software distribution systems and security-critical infrastructure deployments.
The vulnerability maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment" and T1041 for "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" in the context of compromised package management systems. Organizations should immediately update to patched versions of pulp-consumer-client, implement additional network monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior, and review their certificate management policies. Mitigation strategies should include enforcing strict certificate validation policies, implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, and conducting regular security audits of package management systems. The remediation process requires not only software updates but also comprehensive review of the entire certificate trust infrastructure to ensure proper validation of all TLS connections within the pulp environment.