CWE

Common Weakness Enumeration

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ID

CWE-599: Missing Validation of OpenSSL Certificate

Weakness ID: 599
Abstraction: Variant
Structure: Simple
View customized information:
+ Description
The product uses OpenSSL and trusts or uses a certificate without using the SSL_get_verify_result() function to ensure that the certificate satisfies all necessary security requirements.
+ Extended Description
This could allow an attacker to use an invalid certificate to claim to be a trusted host, use expired certificates, or conduct other attacks that could be detected if the certificate is properly validated.
+ Relationships
Section HelpThis table shows the weaknesses and high level categories that are related to this weakness. These relationships are defined as ChildOf, ParentOf, MemberOf and give insight to similar items that may exist at higher and lower levels of abstraction. In addition, relationships such as PeerOf and CanAlsoBe are defined to show similar weaknesses that the user may want to explore.
+ Relevant to the view "Research Concepts" (CWE-1000)
NatureTypeIDName
ChildOfBaseBase - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource.295Improper Certificate Validation
Section HelpThis table shows the weaknesses and high level categories that are related to this weakness. These relationships are defined as ChildOf, ParentOf, MemberOf and give insight to similar items that may exist at higher and lower levels of abstraction. In addition, relationships such as PeerOf and CanAlsoBe are defined to show similar weaknesses that the user may want to explore.
+ Relevant to the view "Architectural Concepts" (CWE-1008)
NatureTypeIDName
MemberOfCategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.1014Identify Actors
+ Modes Of Introduction
Section HelpThe different Modes of Introduction provide information about how and when this weakness may be introduced. The Phase identifies a point in the life cycle at which introduction may occur, while the Note provides a typical scenario related to introduction during the given phase.
PhaseNote
Architecture and DesignOMISSION: This weakness is caused by missing a security tactic during the architecture and design phase.
Implementation
+ Common Consequences
Section HelpThis table specifies different individual consequences associated with the weakness. The Scope identifies the application security area that is violated, while the Impact describes the negative technical impact that arises if an adversary succeeds in exploiting this weakness. The Likelihood provides information about how likely the specific consequence is expected to be seen relative to the other consequences in the list. For example, there may be high likelihood that a weakness will be exploited to achieve a certain impact, but a low likelihood that it will be exploited to achieve a different impact.
ScopeImpactLikelihood
Confidentiality

Technical Impact: Read Application Data

The data read may not be properly secured, it might be viewed by an attacker.
Access Control

Technical Impact: Bypass Protection Mechanism; Gain Privileges or Assume Identity

Trust afforded to the system in question may allow for spoofing or redirection attacks.
Access Control

Technical Impact: Gain Privileges or Assume Identity

If the certificate is not checked, it may be possible for a redirection or spoofing attack to allow a malicious host with a valid certificate to provide data under the guise of a trusted host. While the attacker in question may have a valid certificate, it may simply be a valid certificate for a different site. In order to ensure data integrity, we must check that the certificate is valid, and that it pertains to the site we wish to access.
+ Demonstrative Examples

Example 1

The following OpenSSL code ensures that the host has a certificate.

(bad code)
Example Language:
if (cert = SSL_get_peer_certificate(ssl)) {

// got certificate, host can be trusted

//foo=SSL_get_verify_result(ssl);

//if (X509_V_OK==foo) ...
}

Note that the code does not call SSL_get_verify_result(ssl), which effectively disables the validation step that checks the certificate.

+ Potential Mitigations

Phase: Architecture and Design

Ensure that proper authentication is included in the system design.

Phase: Implementation

Understand and properly implement all checks necessary to ensure the identity of entities involved in encrypted communications.
+ Memberships
Section HelpThis MemberOf Relationships table shows additional CWE Categories and Views that reference this weakness as a member. This information is often useful in understanding where a weakness fits within the context of external information sources.
NatureTypeIDName
MemberOfCategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.948SFP Secondary Cluster: Digital Certificate
+ Notes

Relationship

CWE-295 and CWE-599 are very similar, although CWE-599 has a more narrow scope that is only applied to OpenSSL certificates. As a result, other children of CWE-295 can be regarded as children of CWE-599 as well. CWE's use of one-dimensional hierarchical relationships is not well-suited to handle different kinds of abstraction relationships based on concepts like types of resources ("OpenSSL certificate" as a child of "any certificate") and types of behaviors ("not validating expiration" as a child of "improper validation").
+ Content History
+ Submissions
Submission DateSubmitterOrganization
2006-12-15CWE Community
Submitted by members of the CWE community to extend early CWE versions
+ Modifications
Modification DateModifierOrganization
2008-07-01Eric DalciCigital
updated Time_of_Introduction
2008-09-08CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Common_Consequences, Relationships, Other_Notes
2009-03-10CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Relationships
2009-07-27CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Relationships
2010-12-13CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Description
2011-06-01CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Common_Consequences, Other_Notes
2012-05-11CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Relationships
2013-02-21CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Demonstrative_Examples, Description, Name, Relationship_Notes, Relationships
2014-07-30CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Relationships
2017-11-08CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Modes_of_Introduction, Relationships
2019-09-19CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Demonstrative_Examples
2020-02-24CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Relationships
2023-01-31CWE Content TeamMITRE
updated Description
+ Previous Entry Names
Change DatePrevious Entry Name
2008-04-11No OpenSSL Certificate Check Performed before Use
2013-02-21Trust of OpenSSL Certificate Without Validation
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Page Last Updated: January 31, 2023