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Weak Message Authentication Code (MAC) Algorithms Supported

Weak Message Authentication Code (MAC) Algorithms Supported

Description

This vulnerability indicates that the server supports one or more weak or deprecated Message Authentication Code (MAC) algorithms, such as MD5 or SHA1. These algorithms have known security vulnerabilities and are considered insecure for modern use.

Weak MAC algorithms may include: - MD5: Vulnerable to collision attacks. - SHA1: Vulnerable to collision attacks, the Birthday Attack, and more. - MD5-MAC: Based on the MD5 hashing algorithm, which is vulnerable to collision attacks. - SHA-1-MAC: Based on the SHA-1 hashing algorithm, which has known vulnerabilities, including collision attacks. - HMAC-MD5: An HMAC construction using MD5, inheriting its vulnerabilities. - HMAC-SHA1: An HMAC construction using SHA-1, which has also been shown to be weak due to collision attacks. - RC4-MAC: Based on the RC4 stream cipher, which is considered insecure for various reasons, including biases in its output. - CBC-MAC: The Cipher Block Chaining MAC can be vulnerable if not used with proper padding or if the underlying block cipher is weak. - CMAC with weak block ciphers: While CMAC (Cipher-based Message Authentication Code) is secure when using strong block ciphers like AES, using it with weak ciphers (like DES) can lead to vulnerabilities. - Poly1305 with weak key lengths: While Poly1305 is generally secure, using weak or small key sizes can compromise its security. - GMAC (Galois Message Authentication Code): While generally secure when used with Galois/Counter Mode (GCM), misuse or incorrect implementation can lead to vulnerabilities. - KMAC: Although based on SHA-3, its use with insufficient key lengths can render it insecure.

These algorithms have various weaknesses that can be exploited by attackers, potentially leading to:

  1. Collision attacks: Finding two different inputs that produce the same hash output. This undermines the integrity of the hash function.
  2. Preimage attacks: Given a hash value, finding an input that produces that hash. This breaks the one-way property of hash functions.
  3. Length extension attacks: Ability to compute hash(message1 || message2) given only hash(message1) and the length of message1, without knowing message1 itself.
  4. Forgery of message authentication codes: Creating valid MACs for messages without knowing the secret key, often by exploiting weaknesses in the underlying algorithm.

Example Scenario: An attacker could exploit weaknesses in SHA1 to create two different messages that produce the same MAC. This could allow the attacker to forge authenticated messages, potentially leading to unauthorized actions or data tampering.

Supporting these weak MAC algorithms violates various security standards and best practices, potentially impacting compliance with regulations such as PCI DSS.

Recommendation

To mitigate the risks associated with weak MAC algorithms, consider the following recommendations:

  1. Disable Weak MAC Algorithms:
  2. Disable support for weak MAC algorithms such as MD5 and SHA1.

  3. Enable only strong MAC algorithms like SHA256, SHA384, or SHA512.

  4. Configure Strong Cipher Suites:

  5. Use cipher suites that incorporate strong MAC algorithms.

  6. Disable cipher suites that use weak MAC algorithms.

  7. Implement Secure TLS Configuration:

  8. Follow industry best practices for TLS configuration, such as those provided by Mozilla's SSL Configuration Generator or OWASP's TLS Cheat Sheet.

  9. Regularly test your TLS configuration using tools like SSL Labs' SSL Server Test.

  10. Use HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS):

  11. Implement HSTS to ensure that clients always connect to your server using HTTPS, preventing downgrade attacks.

  12. Consider TLS 1.3:

  13. If possible, enable support for TLS 1.3, which uses more secure MAC algorithms by default.

Example configurations for common web servers:

SSLProtocol             all -SSLv3 -TLSv1 -TLSv1.1
SSLCipherSuite          ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-ECDSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:DHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384
SSLHonorCipherOrder     off
SSLSessionTickets       off

ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;
ssl_ciphers ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-ECDSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:DHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384;
ssl_prefer_server_ciphers off;

New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Server' -Force
New-ItemProperty -path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Server' -name 'Enabled' -value '1' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Force
New-ItemProperty -path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.2\Server' -name 'DisabledByDefault' -value 0 -PropertyType 'DWord' -Force

Standards

  • SOC2_CONTROLS:
    • CC_6_7
    • CC_7_1
  • CCPA:
    • CCPA_1798_150
  • GDPR:
    • ART_32
  • PCI_STANDARDS:
    • REQ_2_3
    • REQ_4_1
    • REQ_6_5