CVE-2015-1796: Opensaml Improper Certificate Validation Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-78fq-w796-q537
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CWE-295
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2015-1796 is a MODERATE improper certificate validation vulnerability (CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation) affecting Opensaml libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper certificate validation in shibboleth identity provider and opensaml. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.6.5, 2.4.4.

CVE-2015-1796 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2015-1796
GHSA Identifier GHSA-78fq-w796-q537
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation
Affected Product Opensaml
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2015-1796

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Opensaml dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.opensaml:opensaml fixed: 2.6.5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.opensaml</groupId>
    <artifactId>opensaml</artifactId>
    <version>2.6.5</version>
</dependency>
edu.internet2.middleware:shibboleth-identityprovider fixed: 2.4.4 
<dependency>
    <groupId>edu.internet2.middleware</groupId>
    <artifactId>shibboleth-identityprovider</artifactId>
    <version>2.4.4</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opensaml

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2015-1796, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opensaml

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Opensaml in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.6.5), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opensaml command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation, where the product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate. In Opensaml, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

The PKIX trust engines in Shibboleth Identity Provider before 2.4.4 and OpenSAML Java (OpenSAML-J) before 2.6.5 trust candidate X.509 credentials when no trusted names are available for the entityID, which allows remote attackers to impersonate an entity via a certificate issued by a shibmd:KeyAuthority trust anchor.

CVE-2015-1796 Affected Opensaml Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.6.52.4.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.opensaml:opensaml
maven/org.opensaml/opensaml
Maven
< 2.6.5
2.6.5
edu.internet2.middleware:shibboleth-identityprovider
maven/edu.internet2.middleware/shibboleth-identityprovider
Maven
< 2.4.4
2.4.4

References

NVD — CVE-2015-1796 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-1796
shibboleth.net/community/advisorie... WEB
https://shibboleth.net/community/advisories/secadv_20150225.txt
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2015-11... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1176.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2015-11... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1177.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2015-1796?
CVE-2015-1796 is a security vulnerability in Opensaml involving Improper Certificate Validation in Shibboleth Identity Provider and OpenSAML under CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation.
Which Opensaml versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.6.5, 2.4.4 across affected packages: org.opensaml:opensaml, edu.internet2.middleware:shibboleth-identityprovider.
What version fixes CVE-2015-1796?
Upgrading to 2.6.5, 2.4.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is opensaml affected?
Yes, org.opensaml:opensaml is affected in releases prior to 2.6.5. Upgrade your dependency to 2.6.5 or later.
Is shibboleth-identityprovider affected?
Yes, edu.internet2.middleware:shibboleth-identityprovider is affected in releases prior to 2.4.4. Upgrade your dependency to 2.4.4 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2015-1796?
CVE-2015-1796 is classified under CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation (The product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2015-1796?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.opensaml'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-78fq-w796-q537",
  "modified" : "2022-07-06T20:25:31Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T03:38:17Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2015-1796" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Certificate Validation in Shibboleth Identity Provider and OpenSAML",
  "details" : "The PKIX trust engines in Shibboleth Identity Provider before 2.4.4 and OpenSAML Java (OpenSAML-J) before 2.6.5 trust candidate X.509 credentials when no trusted names are available for the entityID, which allows remote attackers to impersonate an entity via a certificate issued by a shibmd:KeyAuthority trust anchor.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.opensaml:opensaml"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.6.5"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.6.4"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "edu.internet2.middleware:shibboleth-identityprovider"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.4.4"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 2.4.3"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-1796"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://shibboleth.net/community/advisories/secadv_20150225.txt"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1176.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1177.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-295" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-07-06T20:25:31Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2015-07-08T15:59:00Z"
  }
}