#VU29246 Improper Certificate Validation in axel - CVE-2020-13614

Vulnerability identifier: #VU29246

Vulnerability risk: Medium

CVSSv4.0: 1.2 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Green]

CVE-ID: CVE-2020-13614

CWE-ID: CWE-295

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
axel
Other software / Other software solutions

Vendor: Axel Download Accelerator

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to perform a man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack.

The vulnerability exists in in ssl.c when Axel fails to perform hostname verification during TLS connection. A remote attacker can supply a valid SSL certificate from another domain and perform a Man-in-the-Middle attack.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

axel: 2.17 - 2.17.7

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External links
https://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-06/msg00006.html
https://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2020-06/msg00010.html
https://github.com/axel-download-accelerator/axel/issues/262
https://github.com/axel-download-accelerator/axel/releases/tag/v2.17.8

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.