NetWitness Platform Security Advisory: OpenSSL Vulnerability (CVE-2024-5535)

Summary

A flaw was found in OpenSSL. Affected versions of this package are vulnerable to Information Exposure through the SSL_select_next_proto function. This flaw allows an attacker to cause unexpected application behavior or a crash by exploiting the buffer overread condition when the function is called with a zero-length client list. This issue is only exploitable if the application is misconfigured to use a zero-length server list and mishandles the 'no overlap' response in ALPN or uses the output as the opportunistic protocol in NPN.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to the disclosure of sensitive information or Denial of Service (DoS). Specifically, it could result in a loss of confidentiality as up to 255 bytes of arbitrary private data from memory could be sent to the peer.

• The FIPS modules in 3.3, 3.2, 3.1 and 3.0 are not affected by this issue.
• OpenSSL 3.3, 3.2, 3.1, 3.0, 1.1.1 and 1.0.2 are vulnerable to this issue.

Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to disclosure of sensitive information or Denial of Service (DoS). Specifically, Loss of confidentiality as up to 255 bytes of arbitrary private data from memory could be sent to the peer.

Criticality Assessment

The vulnerability CVE-2024-5535 has been assessed as Low severity by OpenSSL. This is because the issue arises only when the SSL_select_next_proto function is called with an empty supported client protocols buffer, which is not a common scenario. The function is typically used in applications supporting ALPN or NPN, but the conditions required for the vulnerability to be exploited are rare and usually result from configuration or programming errors.

CVE Identifier

CVE-2024-5535

Severity

RedHat: 5.9 Medium

Netwitness: None

Summary and Impact Analysis for NetWitness

After a thorough analysis, we have determined that NetWitness is not impacted by this vulnerability as we do not use the vulnerable functions in our product or solutions.

 

NetWitness version 12.4.0.0 and later include both OpenSSL-3 and OpenSSL 1.1.1k. The NetWitness services utilize OpenSSL-3 (SafeLogic), which is FIPS compliant and not vulnerable. OpenSSL 1.1.1k serves as the system’s default OpenSSL, configured for the operating system’s operations.

Considering the context of OpenSSL 1.1.1k, NetWitness does not directly call the vulnerable function, and no misconfigurations were found related to the mentioned function. The vulnerability affects only applications that directly call the SSL_select_next_proto function with a 0 length list of supported client protocols. In NetWitness, HTTP/1.1 is used, which does not require ALPN or NPN for protocol negotiation. Hence, neither NPN nor ALPN is configured, which is another factor for the server not being vulnerable.

Third-Party Modules

We are aware of third-party modules in NetWitness built using OpenSSL 1.1.1k. However, the possibility of exploitation is limited to configuration or programming errors within the specific library or module. Such scenarios are typically not under attacker control and would generally occur only by accident.

For both NetWitness and the third-party modules, an exploitation scenario would require an attacker to have full control over the machine and make necessary misconfigurations. This is highly complex and impractical. For example, exploiting this vulnerability via nginx in NetWitness would require an attacker to gain higher privileges to make configuration changes, which is unlikely.

Potential for Exploitation

The potential for exploitation of this vulnerability is limited. For an attacker to exploit this vulnerability, they would need to:

1. Have control over the application configuration or introduce a programming error that calls SSL_select_next_proto with a zero-length client list.
2. Gain access to the environment with higher privileges to make necessary configuration changes or modifications to the library.

Given these conditions, active exploitation is unlikely. The vulnerability is more theoretical and would require a combination of multiple exploits and tactics, making the exploitation process highly complex and impractical.

Level of Risk Incurred and Introduced

The level of risk incurred by this vulnerability is minimal for NetWitness. Since NetWitness does not use the vulnerable function and does not configure ALPN or NPN, the risk is negligible. Even for third-party modules using OpenSSL 1.1.1k, the risk remains low due to the complexity required for exploitation. The primary risk would be a loss of confidentiality if an attacker could exploit the vulnerability, but this scenario is highly unlikely.

 

Netwitness Impact

Overall, the impact on NetWitness is minimal, and the product is not affected by this vulnerability.

Affected Versions

All currently supported NetWitness versions have the vulnerable library installed: 12.2.0.0, 12.2.0.1, 12.3.0.0, 12.3.1.0, 12.4.0.0, 12.4.1.0, 12.4.2.0

Mitigation Steps

NetWitness Platform 12.3.1.0 and Earlier:

• It is recommended to upgrade to a version above 12.4.0.0. This version is based on AlmaLinux 8 and will receive fixes and updates concurrent with AlmaLinux 8, ensuring continued security and stability.

NetWitness Platform 12.4 and Later:

• Although NetWitness is not impacted by this specific vulnerability, the OpenSSL package will be updated as soon as updated versions are available from RedHat/AlmaLinux upstream. This proactive approach ensures that all potential vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.
• It is also recommended to enable FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) mode. Enabling FIPS ensures that cryptographic modules meet stringent security standards, providing an additional layer of security.
• Regarding the OpenSSL 1.1.1k package utilized in NetWitness, RedHat still delivers critical security patches as part of their Long-Term Support (LTS) for RHEL 8

EOPS Policy

Netwitness has a defined End of Primary Support policy associated with all major versions. Please refer to the Product Version Life Cycle for additional details.

Legal Information

Read and use the information in this RSA Security Advisory to assist in avoiding any situation that might arise from the problems described herein. If you have any questions regarding this advisory, contact NetWitness Customer Support. RSA Security LLC and its affiliates distribute RSA Security Advisories in order to bring to the attention of users of the affected RSA products, important security information.

RSA recommends that all users determine the applicability of this information to their individual situations and take appropriate action. The information set forth herein is provided "as is" without a warranty of any kind. RSA disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement.

 

In no event shall RSA, its affiliates or its suppliers, be liable for any damages whatsoever including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, loss of business profits or special damages, even if RSA, its affiliates or its suppliers have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so the foregoing limitation may not apply.