CVE-2015-0210: Medium severity wpa_supplicant vulnerability
It was reported [1] that wpasupplicant does not properly check certificate subject name, which might lead to "man in the middle" attack. Relevant part of the original report: ...
wpasupplicant, linked against openssl performs this check:
if (depth == 0 && match && osstrstr(buf, match) == NULL) { wpaprintf(MSGWARNING, "TLS: Subject '%s' did not " "match with '%s'", buf, match); preverifyok = 0; openssltlsfailevent(conn, errcert, err, depth, buf, "Subject mismatch", TLSFAILSUBJECTMISMATCH); }
strstr() is vulnerable to extension attack, for instance, one would like to match on /CN=wireless.nikhef.nl, but explicitly not match on wireless.nikhef.nl.honestachmed.tr. There is no way to implement a secure EAP-TTLS/PEAP configuration using public certificates this way.
When linked against GnuTLS, the problem is even worse:
if (i == 0) { / TODO: validate subjectmatch and altsubjectmatch / }
Now, it is current best practice to run EAP-TTLS/PEAP with public certificates, because on Windows, this automatically pins the CN and CA from the certificate. ...
[1]: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/showbug.cgi?id=1178263
Other sources
wpasupplicant 2.0-16 does not properly check certificate subject name, which allows remote attackers to cause a man-in-the-middle attack.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Remediation
Patch Available
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2015-0210?
CVE-2015-0210 has a medium severity rating due to its potential to allow man-in-the-middle attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2015-0210?
To fix CVE-2015-0210, update wpa_supplicant to version 2.0-17 or later which addresses the certificate subject name check.
Which versions of wpa_supplicant are affected by CVE-2015-0210?
CVE-2015-0210 affects wpa_supplicant version 2.0-16 and earlier.
What type of attack is possible due to CVE-2015-0210?
CVE-2015-0210 may allow attackers to perform a man-in-the-middle attack by exploiting the improper verification of certificate subject names.
Is CVE-2015-0210 still a risk if I am using the latest version of wpa_supplicant?
No, CVE-2015-0210 is not a risk if you are using the latest version of wpa_supplicant, specifically version 2.0-17 or newer which includes the fix.