CVE-2017-2780 : What You Need to Know

InsideSecure MatrixSSL 3.8.7b X509 Certificate Parsing Heap Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

Understanding CVE-2017-2780

A vulnerability in the X509 certificate parsing feature of InsideSecure MatrixSSL 3.8.7b allows for a heap buffer overflow, leading to remote code execution.

What is CVE-2017-2780?

The vulnerability in InsideSecure MatrixSSL 3.8.7b enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a specially crafted x509 certificate.
Exploitation requires the affected client or server application to receive the malicious certificate during a secure connection setup.

The Impact of CVE-2017-2780

CVSS Base Score: 8.1 (High)
Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: High
Privileges Required: None
Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability Impact: High

Technical Details of CVE-2017-2780

Vulnerability Description

An exploitable heap buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the X509 certificate parsing functionality of InsideSecure MatrixSSL 3.8.7b.
A specially crafted x509 certificate triggers a buffer overflow on the heap, resulting in remote code execution.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: MatrixSSL
Vendor: Inside Secure
Affected Version: 3.8.7b

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by providing a specially crafted x509 certificate during the establishment of a secure connection.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update MatrixSSL to a non-vulnerable version.
Implement network-level security controls to filter out malicious certificates.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update SSL libraries and dependencies.
Conduct security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by Inside Secure promptly to address the vulnerability.