CVE-2016-1115 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe ColdFusion 10 before Update 19, 11 before Update 8, and 2016 before Update 1 mishandles wildcards in name fields of X.509 certificates, which might allow man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers via a crafted certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2022
Adobe ColdFusion versions prior to specific update releases contain a critical vulnerability in their X.509 certificate validation process that stems from improper handling of wildcard characters in certificate name fields. This flaw exists in versions 10 before Update 19, 11 before Update 8, and 2016 before Update 1, creating a significant security gap that can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the application processes certificates containing wildcards in subject or subject alternative name fields, where the validation logic fails to properly restrict or sanitize these wildcard characters. This improper handling creates a condition where an attacker can craft a malicious certificate with wildcard patterns that would be accepted by the vulnerable ColdFusion application, potentially enabling successful man-in-the-middle attacks against legitimate communications. The technical implementation flaw resides in the certificate validation routine that processes wildcard domains without sufficient constraints to prevent certificate forgery scenarios. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for credentials in files, as compromised certificates can lead to unauthorized access to protected resources. The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to establish fraudulent SSL/TLS connections that appear legitimate to end users and applications. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can intercept and potentially modify communications between clients and servers, making it particularly dangerous for applications that rely on secure communication channels for sensitive data processing. The attack vector requires the attacker to present a specially crafted certificate to a vulnerable ColdFusion server, which then accepts the certificate due to the flawed wildcard validation logic. This creates a trust relationship that should not exist, allowing the attacker to impersonate legitimate services and potentially gain access to confidential information. Organizations using affected ColdFusion versions should immediately apply the appropriate security updates provided by Adobe to resolve this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategy involves not only patching the software but also implementing additional monitoring of certificate validation processes and network traffic to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing certificate pinning mechanisms as an additional defensive measure, particularly for critical applications that handle sensitive data. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper certificate validation practices and highlights how seemingly minor implementation flaws in cryptographic validation can have significant security implications across enterprise applications.