CVE-2023-28077 in BSAFE SSL-J
Summary
by MITRE • 02/10/2024
Dell BSAFE SSL-J, versions prior to 6.5, and versions 7.0 and 7.1 contain a debug message revealing unnecessary information vulnerability. This may lead to disclosing sensitive information to a locally privileged user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-28077 affects Dell BSAFE SSL-J cryptographic library components, specifically versions prior to 6.5 and versions 7.0 and 7.1. This issue represents a information disclosure flaw that manifests through debug message outputs containing sensitive data. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1005 which focuses on data from local system. The affected library is commonly used in enterprise applications and security products that require secure communication protocols, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on Dell's cryptographic solutions.
The technical flaw stems from improper handling of debug logging mechanisms within the SSL-J library implementation. When debug functionality is enabled, the library generates verbose output that inadvertently includes sensitive information such as cryptographic keys, session data, or internal system states. This occurs because the debug message generation does not properly sanitize or filter output content before logging, allowing local privileged users to access this information through standard system logging mechanisms or direct inspection of debug output files. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, as local privileged users typically have access to system logs and debugging output files that contain this sensitive information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates potential pathways for attackers to gain deeper insights into the cryptographic operations being performed. Local privileged users who can access debug logs may extract cryptographic parameters, key material, or operational details that could aid in subsequent attacks against the system. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad and can enable further exploitation attempts such as cryptographic key recovery or attack pattern identification. Organizations using affected versions of BSAFE SSL-J may experience reduced security posture, as attackers can leverage this information to better understand the cryptographic implementations and potentially target weaknesses in the broader security architecture.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate version upgrades to BSAFE SSL-J 6.5 or later versions where this vulnerability has been addressed. Organizations should also implement comprehensive logging controls to prevent debug output from being accessible to unauthorized local users, including restricting file permissions on debug log directories and implementing proper log sanitization procedures. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough audits of all systems using affected library versions to identify and remove any debug output files that may contain sensitive information. The remediation process should include reviewing system configurations to disable unnecessary debug functionality in production environments and implementing monitoring for suspicious access patterns to debug logging directories. This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper output sanitization in cryptographic libraries, aligning with industry best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO/IEC 27001 security controls for information security management.