Thanks for the update on LibreSSL. Last time I looked at it, they were still in version 1.x, and still only supported on BSD-based systems. I see they're at version 3.x now.
I wonder how much of this is still the case about support on Linux?...
https://lwn.net/Articles/841664/
There's also an overwhelming level of "this-is-fine"-ism in the industry, so as long as OpenSSL isn't a complete dumpster fire at the moment, people aren't willing to invest in alternatives, regardless of how drop-in-ready they may be (which is apparently still a debatable point with LibreSSL on Linux, or at least still was 2 years ago, when the above article was written).
Longer term, maybe a complete re-imagining is what the industry will need to move forward. Most companies and developers are motivated more by new features than by correctness or security, sadly.
Gilbert
On 2023-02-22 3:12 p.m., Adam Thompson wrote:
Bob Beck et al. from the OpenBSD project already "secured" OpenSSL, with the result being called LibreSSL. It's drop-in compatible for many applications, but does require recompiling. That team did a number of presentations on it, and apparently you can still hear the swearing echoing late at night when it's quiet...
The OpenSSL team, however, appear to be rather resistant to help. Serious NIH syndrome. Also they're more focused on preserving backwards compatibility than correctness or security. And also don't respond well to criticism, from what I've seen.
All the large orgs you mentioned already have their own OpenSSL-replacement projects in-house, some of them public. None of those are even remotely drop-in replacements, they're re-imagninings of what a secure-connection library should be.
-Adam
*From:* Roundtable roundtable-bounces@muug.ca on behalf of Gilbert Detillieux Gilbert.Detillieux@umanitoba.ca *Sent:* February 22, 2023 2:17 PM *To:* Continuation of Round Table discussion roundtable@muug.ca *Subject:* Re: [RndTbl] Fw: [SECURITY] Fedora 36 Update: openssl-3.0.8-1.fc36 As if we didn't already have enough issues with OpenSSL, what with buffer overrun vulnerabilities in new/recent code*, and more direct coding flaws (pointer free/dereference and such) that were recently announced**.
You'd think with the combined wealth and resources of Alphabet/Google, Apple, and Microsoft, they'd find it in their best collective self-interest to fund a project to replace this garbage with some, you know, actually secure code.
Sigh!
Gilbert
https://nsfocusglobal.com/openssl-multiple-buffer-overflow-vulnerability-not... https://nsfocusglobal.com/openssl-multiple-buffer-overflow-vulnerability-notice/
** https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv/20230207.txt https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv/20230207.txt https://linuxsecurity.com/features/urgent-openssl-security-advisory https://linuxsecurity.com/features/urgent-openssl-security-advisory
https://www.lansweeper.com/vulnerability/8-vulnerabilities-in-openssl-could-... https://www.lansweeper.com/vulnerability/8-vulnerabilities-in-openssl-could-lead-to-system-crashes/
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/security-bulletin-multiple-vulnerabilities... https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/security-bulletin-multiple-vulnerabilities-openssl-affect-aix (Many of the above do mention the side-channel attack too.)
On 2023-02-22 1:51 p.m., Trevor Cordes wrote:
Oh joy, "password timing" attacks come to SSL.
e.g. CVE-2022-4304 Published 2023-02-08T20:15:00 A timing based side channel exists in the OpenSSL RSA Decryption implementation which could be sufficient to recover a plaintext across a network in a Bleichenbacher style attack.
Begin forwarded message:
Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2023 11:09:09 +0000 (GMT) From: updates@fedoraproject.org To: package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org Subject: [SECURITY] Fedora 36 Update: openssl-3.0.8-1.fc36
Fedora Update Notification FEDORA-2023-a5564c0a3f 2023-02-22 11:06:32.699863
Name : openssl Product : Fedora 36 Version : 3.0.8 Release : 1.fc36
- Thu Feb 9 2023 Dmitry Belyavskiy dbelyavs@redhat.com - 1:3.0.8-1
- Rebase to upstream version 3.0.8
Resolves: CVE-2022-4203 Resolves: CVE-2022-4304 Resolves: CVE-2022-4450 Resolves: CVE-2023-0215 Resolves: CVE-2023-0216 Resolves: CVE-2023-0217 Resolves: CVE-2023-0286 Resolves: CVE-2023-0401