Ubuntu 7.04 / 7.10 / 8.04 LTS : ssl-cert vulnerability (USN-612-4)

high Nessus Plugin ID 32358

Synopsis

The remote Ubuntu host is missing a security-related patch.

Description

USN-612-1 fixed vulnerabilities in openssl. This update provides the corresponding updates for ssl-cert -- potentially compromised snake-oil SSL certificates will be regenerated.

A weakness has been discovered in the random number generator used by OpenSSL on Debian and Ubuntu systems. As a result of this weakness, certain encryption keys are much more common than they should be, such that an attacker could guess the key through a brute-force attack given minimal knowledge of the system. This particularly affects the use of encryption keys in OpenSSH, OpenVPN and SSL certificates.

This vulnerability only affects operating systems which (like Ubuntu) are based on Debian. However, other systems can be indirectly affected if weak keys are imported into them.

We consider this an extremely serious vulnerability, and urge all users to act immediately to secure their systems.
(CVE-2008-0166)

== Who is affected ==

Systems which are running any of the following releases :

* Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty) * Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy) * Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy) * Ubuntu 'Intrepid Ibex' (development): libssl <= 0.9.8g-8 * Debian 4.0 (etch) (see corresponding Debian security advisory)

and have openssh-server installed or have been used to create an OpenSSH key or X.509 (SSL) certificate.

All OpenSSH and X.509 keys generated on such systems must be considered untrustworthy, regardless of the system on which they are used, even after the update has been applied.

This includes the automatically generated host keys used by OpenSSH, which are the basis for its server spoofing and man-in-the-middle protection.

Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Ubuntu security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

Solution

Update the affected ssl-cert package.

See Also

https://usn.ubuntu.com/612-4/

Plugin Details

Severity: High

ID: 32358

File Name: ubuntu_USN-612-4.nasl

Version: 1.18

Type: local

Agent: unix

Published: 5/16/2008

Updated: 1/19/2021

Supported Sensors: Agentless Assessment, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Frictionless Assessment AWS, Frictionless Assessment Azure, Nessus Agent, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 5.1

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.8

Temporal Score: 6.4

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:N/A:N

Vulnerability Information

CPE: p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:ssl-cert, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:7.04, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:7.10, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.04:-:lts

Required KB Items: Host/cpu, Host/Ubuntu, Host/Ubuntu/release, Host/Debian/dpkg-l

Exploit Available: true

Exploit Ease: Exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 5/14/2008

Exploitable With

Core Impact

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2008-0166

BID: 29179

CWE: 310

USN: 612-4