[AMQ-4582] Specifying invalid ciphersuite in SSL transport causes all available ciphersuites to be enabled

• Type: Bug
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 5.8.0
• Fix Version/s: 5.9.0
• Component/s: Broker
• Labels: security ssl

Environment

Linux 3.2.0-41-generic x86_64

• Assignee: Timothy A. Bish
• Reporter: Robert Huffman
• Created: 13/Jun/13 17:02
• Updated: 08/Aug/13 20:27
• Resolved: 08/Aug/13 20:27

Description

If you use an invalid cipher suite in the parameter "transport.enabledCipherSuites" on an SSL transport connector, the broker will start with all ciphers enabled.

For example, use this transport connector:

<transportConnectors>
<transportConnector name="ssl" uri="ssl://localhost:61717?needClientAuth=true&transport.enabledCipherSuites=foobar"/>
</transportConnectors>

This is an attempt to enable the ciphersuite "foobar". The broker starts, and, in my environment I end up with 26 cipher suites enabled, 10 of which are generally considered weak.

Using the debugger I tracked this down to the method org.apache.activemq.util.IntrospectionSupport.setProperty. It uses reflection to invoke SSLServerSocket.setEnabledCipherSuites. That method throws an IllegalArgumentException if the specified ciphersuite is enabled. IntrospectionSupport.setProperty catches the exception and returns false.

I believe that this code should not be ignoring exceptions like this. This is a major security flaw: if a user is attempting to lock down ActiveMQ to a specific strong cipher suite, but makes a typo, the broker starts with with the ability to use weaker cipher suites.

Issue Links

• relates to: AMQ-4433 Socket parameters are not validated