CVE-2020-7043 : Security Advisory and Response
Discover the security flaw in openfortivpn 1.11.0 when used with OpenSSL before 1.0.2. Learn about the impact, affected systems, exploitation mechanism, and mitigation steps for CVE-2020-7043.
An issue was discovered in openfortivpn 1.11.0 when used with OpenSSL before 1.0.2. The vulnerability in tunnel.c mishandles certificate validation due to hostname comparison issues.
Understanding CVE-2020-7043
This CVE involves a security flaw in openfortivpn version 1.11.0 when interacting with OpenSSL versions prior to 1.0.2.
What is CVE-2020-7043?
The vulnerability arises from incorrect handling of certificate validation in the tunnel.c component, leading to hostname comparison errors that can be exploited in attacks.
The Impact of CVE-2020-7043
The vulnerability allows for a specific type of attack where hostname comparisons fail to consider certain characters, potentially enabling malicious actors to bypass security measures.
Technical Details of CVE-2020-7043
This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The issue in openfortivpn 1.11.0 with OpenSSL before 1.0.2 arises from mishandling certificate validation due to inadequate consideration of '\0' characters in hostname comparisons.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Product: Not applicable
- Vendor: Not applicable
- Versions affected: openfortivpn 1.11.0
Exploitation Mechanism
The vulnerability can be exploited through a specific attack scenario involving the manipulation of hostname comparisons, as demonstrated by the 'good.example.com\x00evil.example.com' attack.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2020-7043 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Update openfortivpn to a version that addresses the vulnerability.
- Consider using alternative VPN solutions if immediate patching is not feasible.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update and patch all software components to prevent known vulnerabilities.
- Implement network monitoring and intrusion detection systems to detect and respond to potential attacks.
Patching and Updates
Ensure that OpenSSL is updated to version 1.0.2 or later to mitigate the vulnerability in openfortivpn.