CVE-2020-1971
Description
A null pointer dereference flaw was found in openssl. A remote attacker, able to control the arguments of the GENERAL_NAME_cmp function, could cause the application, compiled with openssl to crash resulting in a denial of service. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to system availability.
Statement
This is a flaw in the GENERAL_NAME_cmp function of openssl which can be triggered when both its arguments are of the same type i.e. EDIPARTYNAME.
Red Hat does not ship any applications compiled with openssl, which used the above function in a vulnerable way.
OpenSSL itself uses the GENERAL_NAME_cmp function for two purposes, when comparing CRL distribution point names between an available CRL and a CRL distribution point embedded in an X509 certificate and when verifying that a timestamp response token signer matches the timestamp authority name (exposed via the API functions TS_RESP_verify_response and TS_RESP_verify_token). If an attacker can control both items being compared then that attacker could trigger a crash. For example, if the attacker can trick a client or server into checking a malicious certificate against a malicious CRL then a crash may be triggered.
Third party applications compiled with openssl using the function GENERAL_NAME_cmp in a vulnerable way are affected by this flaw.
GENERAL_NAME_cmp was added in 0.9.8k, therefore older versions of openssl are not affected by this flaw.
Mitigation
Applications not using the GENERAL_NAME_cmp of openssl are not vulnerable to this flaw. Even when this function is used, if the attacker can control both the arguments of this function, only then the attacker could trigger a crash.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 |
| Attack Vector | Network | Network | Network |
| Attack Complexity | High | High | High |
| Privileges Required | None | None | None |
| User Interaction | None | None | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | None | None |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | None |
| Availability Impact | High | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
NULL pointer dereferences usually result in the failure of the process unless exception handling (on some platforms) is available and implemented. Even when exception handling is being used, it can still be very difficult to return the software to a safe state of operation.
Integrity,Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Read Memory; Modify Memory
In rare circumstances, when NULL is equivalent to the 0x0 memory address and privileged code can access it, then writing or reading memory is possible, which may lead to code execution.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank the OpenSSL project for reporting this issue. Upstream acknowledges David Benjamin (Google) as the original reporter.
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