CVE-2012-5784
Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) vulnerability in axis (Maven)
What is CVE-2012-5784 About?
This vulnerability affects Apache Axis 1.4 and earlier, as well as various products utilizing it. It allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof SSL servers because certificate validation fails to verify hostname matching. Exploitation is relatively easy for an attacker who can intercept network traffic.
Affected Software
- org.apache.axis:axis
- <=1.4
- axis:axis
- <=1.4
Technical Details
Apache Axis 1.4 and earlier, along with other products integrating it (e.g., PayPal services, Apache ActiveMQ), contain a hostname verification bypass vulnerability in their X.509 certificate validation logic. Similar to other hostname verification issues, the affected components fail to compare the hostname of the SSL server against the Common Name (CN) or subjectAltName fields within the presented X.509 certificate. This allows a man-in-the-middle attacker to intercept encrypted communications and present a valid, but server-hostname-mismatched, SSL certificate from any trusted Certificate Authority. The vulnerable client will accept this certificate as legitimate, enabling the attacker to decrypt and re-encrypt traffic, effectively spoofing the intended server and compromising confidentiality and integrity.
What is the Impact of CVE-2012-5784?
Successful exploitation may allow attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, decrypt sensitive communications, and impersonate legitimate servers, leading to information disclosure and potential data manipulation.
What is the Exploitability of CVE-2012-5784?
Exploitation of this MITM vulnerability requires the attacker to be in a position to intercept network traffic between the vulnerable client (using Apache Axis) and the server. The complexity is moderate, involving network-level attacks like DNS spoofing or ARP spoofing to redirect traffic. No authentication or specific privileges are required on the target server. This is a remote vulnerability, as the attacker operates on the network path. Special conditions include the victim client using a vulnerable version of Apache Axis for SSL/TLS communication with a server. The likelihood of exploitation is heightened in shared network environments, public Wi-Fi, or if DNS infrastructure is compromised, allowing for easy interception and redirection of traffic.
What are the Known Public Exploits?
| PoC Author | Link | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| No known exploits | ||
What are the Available Fixes for CVE-2012-5784?
Available Upgrade Options
- No fixes available
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Book a demoAdditional Resources
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/8aa25c99eeb0693fc229ec87d1423b5ed5d58558618706d8aba1d832@%3Cjava-dev.axis.apache.org%3E
- http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~shmat/shmat_ccs12.pdf
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/de2af12dcaba653d02b03235327ca4aa930401813a3cced8e151d29c@%3Cjava-dev.axis.apache.org%3E
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00022.html
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/5e6c92145deddcecf70c3604041dcbd615efa2d37632fc2b9c367780%40%3Cjava-dev.axis.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/de2af12dcaba653d02b03235327ca4aa930401813a3cced8e151d29c%40%3Cjava-dev.axis.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/a308887782e05da7cf692e4851ae2bd429a038570cbf594e6631cc8d%40%3Cjava-dev.axis.apache.org%3E
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-5784
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/79829
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00007.html
What are Similar Vulnerabilities to CVE-2012-5784?
Similar Vulnerabilities: CVE-2014-3603 , CVE-2014-1568 , CVE-2014-2972 , CVE-2014-2525 , CVE-2015-1796
