[forward]Apple Safari and Konqueror Embedded Common Name Verification Vulnerability

[code511 <code511 () code511 com>]

Release Date: 2003-05-09

Critical: Moderately critical

Impact: ID Spoofing

Where: From remote 


OS: Apple Macintosh OS X

Software: Konqueror Embedded Safari 1.x



Description :
Apple Safari and Konqueror Embedded fails to validate the Common Name of a
SSL certificate. This makes it possible to spoof SSL sites, so that users
can't trust the authenticity of a SSL website.

SSL serves two main purposes; one is to ensure the authenticity of the
server, which you are communicating with, the other is to provide encrypted
communication. The authenticity part is completely broken when the Common
Name isn't verified, since the user can't know if he is communicating with
the host in the address bar.

Exploitation of this requires that a malicious person is able to perform DNS
spoofing (eg. see CERT vulnerability note in "Other References" section).

Internet Explorer and Netscape suffered similar vulnerabilities a few years
ago. 

NOTE: This does not affect the ordinary version of Konqueror.


Solution :
Do not use Apple Safari or Konqueror Embedded to access SSL sites, where you
need to trust the authenticity.


Reported by / credits :
Simson L. Garfinkel and Jesse Burns


Other References :
DNS Spoofing: 
http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/457875


Deepquest

"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher
regard those who think alike than those who think differently."
--- Nietzche

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