CVE-2016-5414 in FreeIPA
Summary
by MITRE
FreeIPA 4.4.0 allows remote attackers to request an arbitrary SAN name for services.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5414 affects FreeIPA version 4.4.0 and represents a significant security flaw in the certificate management system. FreeIPA is an integrated identity management solution that provides authentication, authorization, and account information services for enterprise environments. This particular vulnerability stems from improper validation of Subject Alternative Name (SAN) requests during service certificate generation processes, allowing remote attackers to manipulate the certificate issuance workflow.
The technical flaw manifests in the certificate authority component of FreeIPA where service certificates are generated for various network services. When administrators request certificates for services, the system should validate that the requested Subject Alternative Names align with predefined security policies and service configurations. However, the vulnerability allows malicious actors to submit arbitrary SAN names during the certificate request process, bypassing normal validation checks. This occurs due to insufficient input sanitization and validation mechanisms within the certificate generation pipeline, enabling attackers to specify any domain name or IP address in the SAN field of generated certificates.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations relying on FreeIPA for identity management. Attackers could potentially obtain valid certificates for domains they do not control, enabling them to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, impersonate legitimate services, or establish unauthorized communication channels within the network. This capability undermines the fundamental trust model that certificate-based authentication systems rely upon, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges, access sensitive data, or disrupt service availability. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the entire certificate authority infrastructure, as compromised certificates could be used to bypass security controls that depend on certificate validation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to FreeIPA versions that address this vulnerability, typically those released after the patching timeline for CVE-2016-5414. Network administrators should conduct thorough audits of existing certificates to identify any potentially compromised certificates generated under this vulnerability. Additional protective measures include implementing certificate monitoring systems that detect unauthorized certificate issuance, enforcing strict certificate policy enforcement, and considering the deployment of certificate transparency monitoring solutions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and could be leveraged by attackers following techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under credential access and defense evasion tactics. Organizations should also review their certificate lifecycle management processes to ensure that certificate revocation and renewal procedures are robust and that certificate trust relationships are properly maintained.