CVE-2015-8542: High severity open-xchange vulnerability
An issue was discovered in Open-Xchange Guard before 2.2.0-rev8. The "getprivkeybyid" API call is used to download a PGP Private Key for a specific user after providing authentication credentials. Clients provide the "id" and "cid" parameter to specify the current user by its user- and context-ID. The "auth" parameter contains a hashed password string which gets created by the client by asking the user to enter his or her OX Guard password. This parameter is used as single point of authentication when accessing PGP Private Keys. In case a user has set the same password as another user, it is possible to download another user's PGP Private Key by iterating the "id" and "cid" parameters. This kind of attack would also be able by brute-forcing login credentials, but since the "id" and "cid" parameters are sequential they are much easier to predict than a user's login name. At the same time, there are some obvious insecure standard passwords that are widely used. A attacker could send the hashed representation of typically weak passwords and randomly fetch Private Key of matching accounts. The attack can be executed by both internal users and "guests" which use the external mail reader.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2015-8542?
The severity of CVE-2015-8542 is classified as high due to the potential exposure of sensitive PGP private keys.
How do I fix CVE-2015-8542?
To fix CVE-2015-8542, upgrade Open-Xchange Guard to version 2.2.0-rev8 or later.
Who is affected by CVE-2015-8542?
CVE-2015-8542 affects users of Open-Xchange Guard versions prior to 2.2.0-rev8.
What vulnerabilities does CVE-2015-8542 expose?
CVE-2015-8542 exposes the risk of unauthorized access to PGP private keys through improper API handling.
Is authentication sufficient to protect against CVE-2015-8542?
No, proper authentication alone is not sufficient against CVE-2015-8542, as it can still lead to private key disclosure.