CVE-2024-30149 in AppScan Source
Summary
by MITRE • 10/31/2024
HCL AppScan Source <= 10.6.0 does not properly validate a TLS/SSL certificate for an executable.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-30149 affects HCL AppScan Source versions 10.6.0 and earlier, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's handling of TLS/SSL certificate validation for executable files. This weakness stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that allow malicious actors to potentially bypass certificate checks during the execution process. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate validation logic within the source code scanning tool, which is designed to analyze applications for security issues but fails to properly verify the authenticity and integrity of TLS/SSL certificates associated with executable components. The flaw represents a significant deviation from established security protocols and industry standards for secure communication channel establishment.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests in the application's failure to perform comprehensive certificate validation during the execution phase of scanned applications. When HCL AppScan Source processes executable files, it should verify that the TLS/SSL certificates used by these applications are properly issued, not expired, and have not been revoked. However, the flawed validation logic allows certificates that should be rejected due to various security issues to pass through undetected. This includes certificates with mismatched domain names, self-signed certificates without proper trust chain verification, or certificates that have been compromised through various attack vectors. The vulnerability essentially creates a pathway where malicious code can masquerade as legitimate software through certificate manipulation, undermining the security assurances that TLS/SSL protocols are meant to provide.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-30149 extends beyond the immediate scope of the AppScan Source tool itself, affecting organizations that rely on this security scanning solution for their application security assessments. When this vulnerability is exploited, attackers can potentially bypass security controls that depend on proper certificate validation, leading to false negatives in security scanning results. This means that applications containing malicious code could appear secure in scan reports, while legitimate security warnings might be suppressed due to the flawed certificate validation process. The vulnerability creates a false sense of security for organizations using HCL AppScan Source, potentially allowing vulnerable applications to remain undetected in production environments. Additionally, the issue could be exploited in supply chain attacks where attackers compromise executables with invalid certificates that pass through the scanning process undetected.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to HCL AppScan Source versions 10.6.1 or later, where this vulnerability has been addressed through enhanced certificate validation mechanisms. The fix typically involves implementing stricter certificate chain validation, proper expiration date checking, and more robust domain name verification processes. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious certificate patterns and establish procedures for manual verification of critical certificates. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in security implementations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this weakness could be leveraged in techniques such as T1550.003 (Bypassing security tools) and T1071.001 (Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols), making it a significant concern for organizations following MITRE ATT&CK methodology for threat modeling and security assessment.
The root cause of this vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the certificate validation implementation that should have been addressed through proper security testing and code review processes. Organizations should review their current security scanning practices and ensure that certificate validation is not only implemented but also thoroughly tested against various attack scenarios. This includes testing with expired certificates, mismatched domain names, and revoked certificate scenarios to ensure that the validation logic properly identifies and rejects potentially malicious certificate configurations. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security tools and implementing comprehensive security controls that do not rely solely on a single scanning solution for protection against certificate-based attacks.