Scientific Linux Security Update : openssl on SL6.x i386/x86_64

medium Nessus Plugin ID 61043

Synopsis

The remote Scientific Linux host is missing one or more security updates.

Description

OpenSSL is a toolkit that implements the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL v2/v3) and Transport Layer Security (TLS v1) protocols, as well as a full-strength, general purpose cryptography library.

A buffer over-read flaw was discovered in the way OpenSSL parsed the Certificate Status Request TLS extensions in ClientHello TLS handshake messages. A remote attacker could possibly use this flaw to crash an SSL server using the affected OpenSSL functionality. (CVE-2011-0014)

This update fixes the following bugs :

- The 'openssl speed' command (which provides algorithm speed measurement) failed when openssl was running in FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) mode, even if testing of FIPS approved algorithms was requested. FIPS mode disables ciphers and cryptographic hash algorithms that are not approved by the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) standards. With this update, the 'openssl speed' command no longer fails. (BZ#619762)

- The 'openssl pkcs12 -export' command failed to export a PKCS#12 file in FIPS mode. The default algorithm for encrypting a certificate in the PKCS#12 file was not FIPS approved and thus did not work. The command now uses a FIPS approved algorithm by default in FIPS mode.
(BZ#673453)

This update also adds the following enhancements :

- The 'openssl s_server' command, which previously accepted connections only over IPv4, now accepts connections over IPv6. (BZ#601612)

- For the purpose of allowing certain maintenance commands to be run (such as 'rsync'), an 'OPENSSL_FIPS_NON_APPROVED_MD5_ALLOW' environment variable has been added. When a system is configured for FIPS mode and is in a maintenance state, this newly added environment variable can be set to allow software that requires the use of an MD5 cryptographic hash algorithm to be run, even though the hash algorithm is not approved by the FIPS-140-2 standard. (BZ#673071)

Users of OpenSSL are advised to upgrade to these updated packages, which contain backported patches to resolve these issues and add these enhancements. For the update to take effect, all services linked to the OpenSSL library must be restarted, or the system rebooted.

Solution

Update the affected packages.

See Also

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=601612

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=619762

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=673071

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=673453

http://www.nessus.org/u?41627d9d

Plugin Details

Severity: Medium

ID: 61043

File Name: sl_20110519_openssl_on_SL6_x.nasl

Version: 1.5

Type: local

Agent: unix

Published: 8/1/2012

Updated: 1/14/2021

Supported Sensors: Nessus Agent, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 5.2

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 5

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

Vulnerability Information

CPE: x-cpe:/o:fermilab:scientific_linux

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/RedHat/release, Host/RedHat/rpm-list, Host/cpu

Patch Publication Date: 5/19/2011

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2011-0014