CVE-2023-24609 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This is a detailed overview of CVE-2023-24609, discussing the vulnerability, impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies associated with this CVE entry.

Understanding CVE-2023-24609

CVE-2023-24609 highlights a security vulnerability present in Matrix SSL 4.x through 4.6.0 and Rambus TLS Toolkit. The vulnerability involves a length-subtraction integer overflow for Client Hello Pre-Shared Key extension parsing in the TLS 1.3 server.

What is CVE-2023-24609?

The vulnerability in CVE-2023-24609 allows an attacker to trigger a significant increase in CPU load on the targeted device by sending a large number of carefully crafted TLS messages. This occurs specifically in the functions tls13VerifyBinder and tls13TranscriptHashUpdate.

The Impact of CVE-2023-24609

The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to a denial of service (DoS) scenario where the CPU of the affected device becomes heavily loaded due to the processing of malicious TLS messages. This can result in service disruption and impact the availability of the device.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-24609

The following technical aspects provide more insight into the CVE-2023-24609 vulnerability:

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from a length-subtraction integer overflow in the TLS 1.3 server of Matrix SSL 4.x through 4.6.0 and Rambus TLS Toolkit. It occurs during the parsing of Client Hello Pre-Shared Key extension, leading to CPU overload when processing crafted TLS messages.

Affected Systems and Versions

Matrix SSL 4.x through 4.6.0 and Rambus TLS Toolkit are affected by this vulnerability. Devices using these versions may be susceptible to the CPU overload exploit through crafted TLS messages.

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker can exploit CVE-2023-24609 by sending a large volume of carefully crafted TLS messages to the targeted device. This triggers the CPU overload scenario, impacting the device's performance and availability.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address the CVE-2023-24609 vulnerability, organizations and users can take the following steps to mitigate risks and enhance security:

Immediate Steps to Take

Implement security updates or patches provided by the vendors for Matrix SSL and Rambus TLS Toolkit to address the vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any anomalous or suspicious TLS message patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to ensure known vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.
Conduct security assessments and audits to identify and mitigate potential security weaknesses in TLS implementations.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and updates released by the vendors of Matrix SSL and Rambus TLS Toolkit. Apply patches and updates promptly to protect systems from potential exploits targeting CVE-2023-24609.