Improper Certificate Validation
CVE-2021-32728
Summary
The Nextcloud Desktop Client is a tool to synchronize files from Nextcloud Server with a computer. Clients using the Nextcloud end-to-end encryption feature download the public and private key via an API endpoint. In versions prior to 3.3.0, the Nextcloud Desktop client fails to check if a private key belongs to previously downloaded public certificate. If the Nextcloud instance serves a malicious public key, the data would be encrypted for this key and thus could be accessible to a malicious actor. This issue is fixed in Nextcloud Desktop Client version 3.3.0. There are no known workarounds aside from upgrading.
- LOW
- NETWORK
- NONE
- UNCHANGED
- NONE
- LOW
- HIGH
- NONE
CWE-295 - Improper Certificate Validation
The authenticity component of a web system stems from the ability to validate “Digital certificates”, which (i) establish trust between two or more entities sharing data over a network; (ii) ensure data at rest and transit is secure from unauthorized access; and (iii) check the identity of the actors that interact with the system. An application with absent or ineffective certificate validation mechanisms allows malicious users, impersonating trusted hosts, to manipulate the communication path between the client and the host, resulting in unauthorized access to data and to the application’s internal environment, and potentially enabling man-in-the-middle attacks.
References
Advisory Timeline
- Published
