CVE-2014-3596
Man-in-the-Middle vulnerability in axis (Maven)
What is CVE-2014-3596 About?
This is a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) vulnerability in Apache Axis 1.4 and earlier, arising from improper hostname verification in the `getCN` function. Successful exploitation allows attackers to spoof SSL servers using specially crafted X.509 certificates, facilitating eavesdropping or data tampering, and is relatively easy to exploit with a rogue certificate.
Affected Software
- org.apache.axis:axis
- <=1.4
- axis:axis
- <=1.4
Technical Details
The getCN function in Apache Axis 1.4 and earlier fails to properly verify that the server's hostname matches a domain name within the subject's Common Name (CN) or subjectAltName field of an X.509 certificate. Instead of strictly checking the CN field, it may accept subject information from other fields that are not intended for hostname matching. This weakness allows a man-in-the-middle attacker to present a specially crafted X.509 certificate to an Axis client. Even if the certificate's CN does not match the target hostname, if another field in the subject information contains the target hostname, Axis may incorrectly validate the certificate, believing it to be legitimate. This allows the attacker to intercept and potentially modify SSL/TLS encrypted traffic.
What is the Impact of CVE-2014-3596?
Successful exploitation may allow attackers to intercept and decrypt sensitive communications, tamper with data in transit, or impersonate legitimate servers, leading to data breaches or service compromise.
What is the Exploitability of CVE-2014-3596?
Exploitation requires an attacker to position themselves as a man-in-the-middle between the Apache Axis client and the intended server, often via network-level attacks like DNS spoofing or ARP cache poisoning. The attacker then needs to present a specially crafted X.509 certificate where the target hostname is present in a subject field other than the Common Name (CN) or subjectAltName. No specific authentication to the Axis application is required, but the attacker must be able to control or intercept network traffic. The complexity is medium, as it involves setting up a rogue server and generating a suitable certificate. Risk factors include Axis clients communicating over untrusted networks and the absence of strict certificate pinning.
What are the Known Public Exploits?
| PoC Author | Link | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| No known exploits | ||
What are the Available Fixes for CVE-2014-3596?
Available Upgrade Options
- No fixes available
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Book a demoAdditional Resources
- https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-r53v-vm87-f72c
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/8aa25c99eeb0693fc229ec87d1423b5ed5d58558618706d8aba1d832@%3Cjava-dev.axis.apache.org%3E
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-3596
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/de2af12dcaba653d02b03235327ca4aa930401813a3cced8e151d29c@%3Cjava-dev.axis.apache.org%3E
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1129935
- https://web.archive.org/web/20200227173427/http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/69295
- http://linux.oracle.com/errata/ELSA-2014-1193.html
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/5e6c92145deddcecf70c3604041dcbd615efa2d37632fc2b9c367780%40%3Cjava-dev.axis.apache.org%3E
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-06/msg00022.html
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/de2af12dcaba653d02b03235327ca4aa930401813a3cced8e151d29c%40%3Cjava-dev.axis.apache.org%3E
What are Similar Vulnerabilities to CVE-2014-3596?
Similar Vulnerabilities: CVE-2012-5784 , CVE-2014-3580 , CVE-2019-0221 , CVE-2015-1832 , CVE-2010-1633
