CVE-2017-18268 in IntelligenceCenter
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec IntelligenceCenter 3.3 is vulnerable to the Return of the Bleichenbacher Oracle Threat (ROBOT) attack. A remote attacker, who has captured a pre-recorded SSL session inspected by SSLV, can establish large numbers of crafted SSL connections to the target and obtain the session keys required to decrypt the pre-recorded SSL session.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-18268 affects Symantec IntelligenceCenter version 3.3 and represents a critical implementation flaw in the SSL/TLS cryptographic protocol handling. This vulnerability specifically exposes the system to the Return of the Bleichenbacher Oracle Threat (ROBOT) attack, which exploits weaknesses in RSA-based SSL/TLS implementations that rely on PKCS#1 v1.5 padding schemes. The attack leverages the oracle provided by the SSL implementation to iteratively recover the session keys through a series of carefully crafted cryptographic operations that reveal information about the private key components.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first capture a pre-recorded SSL session that was processed by the SSLV component within Symantec IntelligenceCenter. Once obtained, the attacker can establish numerous crafted SSL connections to the target system, utilizing the ROBOT attack methodology to systematically decrypt the captured session data. The attack operates by sending specially constructed RSA decryption queries to the vulnerable system and observing the responses to determine whether padding validation has succeeded or failed, thereby enabling the attacker to reconstruct the session keys through mathematical analysis and statistical inference techniques. This represents a fundamental weakness in the cryptographic protocol implementation that violates standard security assumptions about the confidentiality of encrypted communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the SSL/TLS security model within the affected Symantec IntelligenceCenter environment. Organizations relying on this system for security monitoring and intelligence gathering face significant risks, as the vulnerability allows attackers to decrypt previously captured communications that should remain protected. The implications are particularly severe for security operations centers that depend on IntelligenceCenter for threat intelligence analysis, as compromised session keys could enable attackers to access sensitive threat data, adversary communications, and operational details that are critical to maintaining organizational security posture. This vulnerability essentially undermines the cryptographic protection that users expect from SSL/TLS implementations, creating a backdoor for unauthorized access to encrypted communications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-18268 require immediate implementation of cryptographic protocol updates and system hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to Symantec IntelligenceCenter versions that address this vulnerability through proper RSA padding implementation and removal of the vulnerable PKCS#1 v1.5 padding scheme. The recommended approach includes implementing proper cryptographic protocol versions that utilize OAEP padding instead of PKCS#1 v1.5 padding, which provides resistance against the Bleichenbacher oracle attacks. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing network-level protections such as SSL/TLS protocol version restrictions and certificate pinning mechanisms to reduce the attack surface. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-310, which specifically addresses cryptographic weaknesses in padding schemes. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1552.004, which covers unsecured credentials and T1041, which addresses data compression and encryption, as the exploitation involves compromising cryptographic implementations to access sensitive data. Organizations should also implement comprehensive monitoring and detection mechanisms to identify potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures to address successful attacks.