CVE-2020-7919 in Google
Summary
by MITRE
Go before 1.12.16 and 1.13.x before 1.13.7 (and the crypto/cryptobyte package before 0.0.0-20200124225646-8b5121be2f68 for Go) allows attacks on clients (resulting in a panic) via a malformed X.509 certificate.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-7919 represents a critical security flaw in the go programming language ecosystem affecting versions prior to 1.12.16 and 1.13.7. This issue specifically targets the handling of X.509 certificates within the crypto/cryptobyte package, which serves as a foundational component for cryptographic operations in go applications. The flaw manifests as a panic condition that occurs when clients attempt to process malformed X.509 certificates, potentially leading to denial of service scenarios that can disrupt critical services relying on secure certificate validation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the certificate parsing routines of the go runtime. When the crypto/cryptobyte package encounters malformed X.509 certificates during the parsing process, it fails to properly handle edge cases and malformed data structures, resulting in runtime panics that terminate the application process. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper handling of length values and count variables, and specifically relates to improper input validation in cryptographic libraries. The vulnerability exploits the lack of robust error handling in certificate validation routines, where malformed certificate data triggers unexpected program termination rather than graceful error recovery.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risks to systems that rely on go-based applications for secure communications, particularly those implementing TLS/SSL certificate validation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious X.509 certificates designed to trigger the panic condition, thereby causing denial of service against vulnerable clients. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect critical infrastructure components such as web servers, load balancers, and reverse proxies that depend on proper certificate validation. This vulnerability particularly affects systems implementing certificate pinning, mutual TLS authentication, and any application that performs certificate validation as part of its security posture, making it a severe concern for enterprise environments where availability and reliability are paramount.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2020-7919 involves immediate upgrading of go runtime versions to 1.12.16 or 1.13.7, respectively, along with corresponding updates to the crypto/cryptobyte package to versions 0.0.0-20200124225646-8b5121be2f68 or later. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems, particularly those handling sensitive communications or serving critical business functions. Additionally, implementing certificate validation monitoring and alerting systems can help detect potential exploitation attempts, while maintaining proper incident response procedures ensures rapid containment of any successful attacks. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date cryptographic libraries and proper input validation in security-sensitive applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service and emphasizing the need for robust error handling in cryptographic operations as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for cybersecurity threats.