[WSS-677] Comparison in validate class is vulnerable to timing side channels

• Type: Bug
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 2.3.0
• Fix Version/s: 2.2.6, 2.3.1
• Component/s: WSS4J Core
• Environment: JDK 1.8
• Assignee: Colm O hEigeartaigh
• Reporter: Saeid Tizpaz-Niari
• Created: 17/Aug/20 15:57
• Updated: 23/Dec/20 07:17
• Resolved: 18/Aug/20 10:51

Description

Hello,

We recently noticed potential timing side channels in the implementation of password comparisons. The issue is in org.apache.wss4j.dom.validate package in UsernameTokenValidator class inside verifyDigestPassword() method where it uses Java string equal to compare given password against the stored one. This is a well-known issue first reported in the following articles:

https://rdist.root.org/2009/05/28/timing-attack-in-google-keyczar-library/

https://github.com/eclipse/jetty.project/issues/1556

Also, I am sending recent fixes for this type of vulnerable (Eclipse Jetty and OpenJDK crypto)

https://github.com/eclipse/jetty.project/blob/jetty-9.4.x/jetty-util/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/util/security/Credential.java#L94

http://hg.openjdk.java.net/jdk8u/jdk8u-dev/jdk/rev/26deba50fea8

Please let us know if you have any questions,

Best Regards,

Saeid ([e-mail])

Yannic ([e-mail])