CVE-2018-16868 : Security Advisory and Response

Researchers identified a side-channel based padding oracle attack affecting the way gnutls verifies RSA decrypted PKCS#1 v1.5 data, potentially leading to plaintext extraction or TLS connection downgrades.

Understanding CVE-2018-16868

This CVE involves a vulnerability in gnutls that could be exploited through a side-channel based padding oracle attack.

What is CVE-2018-16868?

The vulnerability allows attackers to exploit the way gnutls verifies RSA decrypted PKCS#1 v1.5 data, potentially compromising confidentiality.

The Impact of CVE-2018-16868

Attack Complexity: High
Attack Vector: Physical
Base Score: 4.7 (Medium)
Confidentiality Impact: High
Privileges Required: High
Scope: Changed
No Availability Impact
No Integrity Impact

Technical Details of CVE-2018-16868

This section provides more in-depth technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in gnutls allows attackers to perform a side-channel based padding oracle attack similar to Bleichenbacher's, potentially leading to plaintext extraction or TLS connection downgrades.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: gnutls
Vendor: [UNKNOWN]
Affected Version: n/a

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by running a process on the same physical core as the victim process, enabling them to extract plaintext or downgrade TLS connections in specific scenarios.

Mitigation and Prevention

It is crucial to take immediate steps to mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2018-16868.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply security patches provided by the vendor promptly.
Monitor and restrict physical access to systems to prevent unauthorized processes from running on the same core.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strong encryption protocols and algorithms to enhance data protection.
Regularly update and patch systems to address known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security audits and assessments to identify and remediate potential weaknesses.
Educate users and administrators about secure practices to prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that all systems running gnutls are updated with the latest patches and security updates to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2018-16868.