CVE-2017-5653 in CXF
Summary
by MITRE
JAX-RS XML Security streaming clients in Apache CXF before 3.1.11 and 3.0.13 do not validate that the service response was signed or encrypted, which allows remote attackers to spoof servers.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-5653 affects Apache CXF implementations of JAX-RS XML Security streaming clients across versions prior to 3.1.11 and 3.0.13. This security flaw resides in the XML security processing mechanisms that govern how client applications handle service responses. The core issue manifests when these streaming clients fail to perform essential validation checks to verify whether incoming service responses have been properly signed or encrypted. This omission creates a critical security gap that enables malicious actors to exploit the system by crafting forged responses that appear legitimate to the vulnerable client applications.
The technical flaw represents a failure in the XML Security streaming validation process, specifically within the JAX-RS security framework of Apache CXF. When a client application processes XML responses from web services, it should verify that the response content has been authenticated through digital signatures and encrypted when appropriate. The vulnerability stems from the absence of mandatory validation steps that would ensure response integrity and confidentiality. This weakness operates at the intersection of several security controls, fundamentally undermining the security assurances that XML security mechanisms are designed to provide. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to bypass the normal security validation procedures that would normally detect tampered or unauthorized responses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations utilizing Apache CXF JAX-RS clients in their web service architectures. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks by intercepting legitimate service communications and substituting their own responses. These forged responses can contain malicious payloads, sensitive data manipulation, or unauthorized access controls that would be accepted by the vulnerable client applications as authentic. The vulnerability particularly affects systems where sensitive data exchanges occur through XML-based web services, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized system access, and compromise of business-critical information flows. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no special privileges or local access, making it accessible to remote threat actors.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Apache CXF versions 3.1.11 or 3.0.13, which contain the necessary security patches to address the validation gap. Additionally, administrators should review their existing security configurations to ensure that XML security policies are properly enforced and that response validation mechanisms are enabled. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be enhanced to detect anomalous response patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-347, which addresses improper certificate validation and weak cryptographic practices. From an ATT&CK perspective, this weakness maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation through service manipulation. Organizations should also consider implementing additional layers of security such as mutual authentication, enhanced logging, and regular security assessments to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in their web service infrastructures.