:: Deepquest ::

Check software update for an upcoming security update.

Release Date:2003-05-09

Critical:Moderately critical

Impact:ID Spoofing

Where:From remote

OS:Apple Macintosh OS X

Software:Konqueror Embedded Safari 1.x

Description:
Apple Safari and Konqueror Embedded fails to validate the Common Name of a SSL certificate. This makes it possible to spoof SSL sites, so that users can’t trust the authenticity of a SSL website.

SSL serves two main purposes; one is to ensure the authenticity of the server, which you are communicating with, the other is to provide encrypted communication. The authenticity part is completely broken when the Common Name isn’t verified, since the user can’t know if he is communicating with the host in the address bar.

Exploitation of this requires that a malicious person is able to perform DNS spoofing (eg. see CERT vulnerability note in “Other References” section).

Internet Explorer and Netscape suffered similar vulnerabilities a few years ago.

NOTE: This does not affect the ordinary version of Konqueror.

Solution:
Do not use Apple Safari or Konqueror Embedded to access SSL sites, where you need to trust the authenticity.

Reported by / credits:
Simson L. Garfinkel and Jesse Burns

Other References:
DNS Spoofing:
[url=http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/457875]http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/457875[/url]