CVE-2021-40828 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE article discusses TLS hostname validation issues within AWS IoT Device SDKs on Windows.

Understanding CVE-2021-40828

This section provides insights into the impact, technical details, and mitigation steps related to the CVE.

What is CVE-2021-40828?

CVE-2021-40828 pertains to a vulnerability in various AWS IoT Device SDK versions for different programming languages on Microsoft Windows.

The Impact of CVE-2021-40828

The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.3 (Medium severity), affecting multiple AWS IoT Device SDK versions on Windows.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-40828

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The affected SDK versions did not verify the server certificate hostname during TLS handshake on Windows.

Affected Systems and Versions

AWS IoT Device SDK v2 for Java < 1.3.3
AWS IoT Device SDK v2 for Python < 1.5.18
AWS IoT Device SDK v2 for C++ < 1.12.7
AWS IoT Device SDK v2 for Node.js < 1.5.3
AWS-C-IO version 0.9.12

Exploitation Mechanism

Connections made by the mentioned SDK versions could bypass server certificate hostname verification on Windows.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines steps to address and prevent the vulnerability.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update to the latest versions of AWS IoT Device SDKs.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch IoT device SDKs.
Implement secure coding practices.

Patching and Updates

Ensure all software components are up-to-date to mitigate potential risks.