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    Oracle Hardening - Part 2

    Introduction

    While Oracle is designed "secure by

    default," this article explores a variety of

    those defaults and administrative

    approaches that help to minimize

    vulnerabilities. Please remember that the

    strategies discussed here are presented as

    options to consider rather than definitive

    rules to apply. In previous article (June

    2013 issue) I went through OS level

    permissions for securing Oracle databases; I

    will be taking you a step closer towards

    Oracle Hardening to make it hard for

    perpetrators to break into the system. Focus

    will be on the parameters you need toconsider and explanation on what the

    parameter does; why it should be changed;

    and how it can be done. Oracle security

    parameters will be covered in this part.

    Abstract

    Following template will be used for each

    parameter:

    WHAT: This will explain what theparameter is used for and where it can be

    found;

    WHY: The reason you should consider

    changing/not-changing it;

    VERSION: Versions of Oracle it is

    applicable for;

    COMMAND: The command to help you

    make the changes (wherever applicable);

    Thumb-rule: The Information security

    clichs (wherever applicable);

    Recommended settings: Table ofrecommended settings mostly combined for

    multiple parameters that are of similar type.

    (wherever applicable);

    Solution

    As mentioned above lets start with

    important OS security parameters in Oracle

    Database:

    O7_DICTIONARY_ACCESSIBILITY

    WHAT: Controls restrictions onSYSTEM privileges. If the parameter is

    set to true, access to objects in the SYS

    schema is allowed. The default setting is

    false.

    P.S:System privileges that allow accessto objects in "any schema" are not

    allowed access to objects in the SYS

    schema WHY: Unauthorized/ Inadvertent

    access and changes to SYSTEM

    Thumb-rule:Least privileges VERSION:ALL Command: Login as SYSDBA and

    execute ALTER SYSTEM command as:

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    ALTER SYSTEM SET

    O7_DICTIONARY_ACCESSIBILITY =

    true SCOPE=spfile

    _TRACE_FILES_PUBLIC

    WHAT: Some errors in Oracle lead togeneration of Trace files. We can

    generate them forcefully after enabling

    SQL_TRACE parameter. All trace files

    are logged in USER_DUMP_DEST or

    BACKGROUND_DUMP_DEST

    parameter.

    In general all trace files have read and

    write permission for Oracle software

    owner and group of Oracle installationhas permission of read only. Other users

    dont have privilege of read. Trace files

    can be found at

    /opt/oracle/ora11g/admin/orcl/udump.

    Oracle applies this permission using

    hidden parameter called

    _TRACE_FILES_PUBLIC. Due to this

    parameter trace files dont have read

    permission to other users or public.

    P.S: Default value of_TRACE_FILES_PUBLIC is FALSE. It

    is not recommended to change value.

    WHY: Trace files may containimportant information about database

    security or some sensitive details of

    data.

    Thumb-rule:Need-to-know privileges VERSION:ALL Commands: Login as SYSDBA and

    execute ALTER SYSTEM command as:

    ALTER SYSTEM SET

    _trace_files_public = TRUE

    SCOPE=SPFILE

    P.S: After changing

    _TRACE_FILES_PUBLIC

    parameter to TRUE. Newly

    generated trace will have read

    permission granted to other users

    and public.

    USER_DUMP_DEST

    WHAT: Specifies the directory wherethe server will write debugging trace

    files on behalf of a user process. Value

    should never be set to *

    WHY: Trace files may containimportant information about database

    security or some sensitive details of

    data.

    VERSION:ALL

    Commands:The parameter can be setin the initialisation file as

    user_dump_dest = 'directory'

    e.g. user_dump_dest =

    'R:\Oracle\Admin\NT92001\udump';

    This parameter can be also set at system

    level

    E.g. ALTER SYSTEM SET

    user_dump_dest = 'Q:\Udump';

    UTL_FILE_DIR

    WHAT: Specifies one or moredirectories that Oracle should use for

    PL/SQL file I/O. Value should never be

    set to *

    WHY:All users can read or write to allfiles specified by this parameter.

    Therefore this value means that the

    package UTL_FILE can be used to writeto any directory in the system where

    oracle has write permissions. GREAT!!

    VERSION:ALL Commands:The parameter can be set

    in the initialisation file as utl_file_dir =

    'directory'

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    P.S: Quite often databases have the

    utl_file_dir is set to the

    user_dump_dest. If this is the case

    then it should be possible to be

    able to read trace files you

    wouldn't ordinarily have access toUTL_FILE_DIR and

    USER_DUMP_DEST should not be

    same.

    RESOURCE_LIMIT

    WHAT: Specifies whether resourcelimits are enforced in database profiles.

    Value should be set to TRUE

    WHY:This is not a security issue but aperformance issue. Limits specified in

    profiles will not be applied to users.

    VERSION:ALL Commands:This parameter can be set

    at system level.

    E.g. ALTER SYSTEM SET

    RESOURCE_LIMIT = TRUE;

    TRANSACTION_AUDITING

    WHAT: TRANSACTION_AUDITINGto be set to TRUE. Oracle generates a

    special redo record that contains the

    user logon name user name the session

    ID some operating system information

    and client insformation. For each

    successive transaction. Oracle generates

    a record that contains only the session

    ID. These subsequent records link back

    to the first record which also containsthe session ID

    WHY:Redo log will not be generated ifset to false. Useful if you are using redo

    log analysis tools.

    VERSION:ALL Commands:This parameter can be set

    at system level

    E.g. ALTER SYSTEM SET

    TRANSACTION_AUDITING = TRUE;

    REMOTE_OS_AUTHENT

    WHAT: REMOTE_OS_AUTHENTspecifies whether remote clients will be

    authenticated with the value of the

    OS_AUTHENT_PREFIX parameter.

    WHY: Allowing the OS to control OSauthentication without intervention can

    be very risky.

    VERSION:ALL Commands:This parameter can be set

    at system level

    E.g. ALTER SYSTEM SET

    REMOTE_OS_AUTHENT= FALSE;

    P.S: The remote_os_authent

    parameter has been deprecated in

    Oracle 11g, and a safer method is

    now used.

    These are some of the important OS

    parameters; we will focus on permissions onOracle tables and packages in next article.

    About the Author

    Ajinkya Patilhttp://avsecurity.in

    Ajinkya is an Information Security professional

    with experience in conducting Web application

    security, IT governance reviews, Network

    security, Database and OS. He holds a CISA

    (Associate of ISACA) certification, Information

    Security Management certification. He also listed

    in Hall of Fame of Blackberry (RIM).

    http://avsecurity.in/http://avsecurity.in/http://avsecurity.in/
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    DSCI Security

    Framework for ISO27001 Implementers

    DSCI (Data Security Council of India), a

    NASSCOM body, has been setup as an

    independent Self-Regulatory organization to

    promote data protection, develop security

    and privacy best practices & standards and

    encourage the Indian industries to

    implement the same1.

    DSCI has developed best practices for data

    protection in the form of two frameworks:-

    1. The Privacy Framework;2. The Security Framework.

    We will discuss the DSCI Security

    Framework (DSF from here onwards) for

    now (discussion on Privacy Framework will

    come in subsequent articles) and its

    relevance for ISO 27001 implementers.

    The DSF have been developed in the form of

    16 disciplines across 4 layers each that need

    to be implemented / established in order to

    help organizations implement information

    1http://www.dsci.in/about-us

    security. The discipline centric approach

    helps in aligning an organizations thought

    process to the market and helps in putting

    up a maturity based approach for bothimplementation and assessments.

    The 16 disciplines are as follows:-

    1. Security Strategy and Policy (SSP)2. Security Organizations (SEO)3. Asset Management (ASM)4. Governance Risk and Compliance

    (GRC)

    5. Infrastructure Security (INS)6. Application Security (APS)7. Secure Content Management (SCM)8. Threat and Vulnerability

    Management (TVM)

    9. User Access and PrivilegeManagement (UAP)

    10.Business Continuity and DisasterRecovery Management (BDM)

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    11. Security Audit and Testing (SAT)12.Security Monitoring and Incident

    Management (MIM)

    13.Physical and Environmental Security(PEN)

    14.Third Party Security Management(TSM)15.Personnel Security (PES)16.Data Security (DSC)

    The four layers in which each

    discipline has been divided into are:-

    1) ApproachAn attempt has been made to describe

    the discipline and to set the expectations

    and the rationale behind inclusion of the

    same;

    2) StrategyPolicy statements pertaining to

    implementation of the discipline has

    been provided in this section to help

    management (senior / middle) in

    putting up appropriate direction

    towards successful implementation of

    the discipline;

    3) Best PracticesThis section details some of the best

    practices that have been observed over a

    period of time across industries

    pertaining to this discipline;

    4) MaturityThis section identifies & articulates

    some characteristics of the disciplinethat showcases the evolution of the same

    in an organization;

    Benefits of DSCI Privacy and Security

    Frameworks:-

    1. The discipline based approach helpsalign an organization to the market

    realities;

    2. The layered approach helps inimplementation and in client assurance;

    in light of the recent regulations,

    security and privacy implementations

    have been implemented in many

    organizations across the country, both

    towards due diligence and to provide

    appropriate assurance to clients

    regarding the security and privacy of

    their data.

    Improvements Wishlist:-

    1. A maturity model would be a welcomemove (e.g., similar to ISM3 & SSE-

    CMM)

    2. Awareness on the eco-system needs tobe strengthened (expect more traction in

    coming days as the system is new).

    DSF and ISO 27001

    For ISMS implementers, the frameworkputs up important guidance towards

    implementation; In other words, the DSF

    can be used to implement an ISO

    27001:2005 compliant ISMS. A partial

    mapping table of DSF disciplines vis--vis

    ISO 27001 has been presented below (NB -

    this is not an exhaustive list and has been

    provided as an illustration):-

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    Image Credits

    1) DSF (DSCI Security Framework) BookImage -

    http://images.nasscom.org/sites/defaul

    t/files/imagecache/product_full/researchreports/images/DSF.jpg

    2) http://www.dsci.in/sites/default/files/Security_homepage_0.jpg

    Information Sources

    1) http://www.dsci.in2) http://www.ism3.com3) http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fasp/

    documents/incident_response/SSAIRB

    SP/SSECMMv2Final.pdf

    Disclaimer

    The opinions and viewpoints expressed here

    are personal.

    About the Author

    M.S.Sripati, CISA

    [email protected]

    Sripati is an information security processconsultant & software developer with an overall

    experience of 8+ years, doing ISO 27001 & HIPA

    compliant ISMS Implementation, Risk

    Assessment and Management. He is a self-driven

    professional who continuously keeps himself

    abreast of the latest happenings & regulations by

    being part of & participating in various

    information security forums. Check out his site

    http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fasp/documents/incident_response/SSAIRBSP/SSECMMv2Final.pdfhttp://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fasp/documents/incident_response/SSAIRBSP/SSECMMv2Final.pdfhttp://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fasp/documents/incident_response/SSAIRBSP/SSECMMv2Final.pdfhttp://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fasp/documents/incident_response/SSAIRBSP/SSECMMv2Final.pdfhttp://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fasp/documents/incident_response/SSAIRBSP/SSECMMv2Final.pdfhttp://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fasp/documents/incident_response/SSAIRBSP/SSECMMv2Final.pdfhttp://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fasp/documents/incident_response/SSAIRBSP/SSECMMv2Final.pdfhttp://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fasp/documents/incident_response/SSAIRBSP/SSECMMv2Final.pdfhttp://csrc.nist.gov/groups/SMA/fasp/documents/incident_response/SSAIRBSP/SSECMMv2Final.pdf
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    Viproy - VoIP PenetrationTesting and Exploitation Kit

    IntroductionViproy is developed to improve quality of

    SIP Penetration Tests. It's a collection of

    Metasploit Framework modules focused on

    SIP tests, it can be used with Metasploit

    Framework Github edition or Metasploit

    Framework Pro edition. It has 10 differentmodules to test target SIP servers with

    authentication and fuzzing support. Also

    Viproy has a SIP library to extend

    Metasploit Framework REX library.

    Description of Modules:

    1) OPTIONOptions module can be used to discovertarget SIP services and devices.

    2) REGISTERRegister module can be used to discover

    target SIP services and devices too. Also

    Register module can register a client, a

    service or test a valid account.

    3) INVITEInvite module is prepared to test call

    features of target SIP services. Invite

    spoofing, billing or CDR bypass using

    custom proxy headers, Invite based DoS

    attacks and sample call tests can be

    performed using Invite module.

    4) ENUMERATOREnumerator module is prepared to

    enumerate of users and internal

    numbers of target SIP servers.

    Enumeration step of the SIP pen-test

    could be performed with a user list file

    or numeric user range.

    5) BRUTE FORCEBrute force module is prepared to

    perform advanced password attacks

    against SIP services. Password attacks

    could be initiated using user list files,

    numeric ranges and passwords file.Password attack operations can be

    customized easily, for example It can be

    used to initiate password attacks to a

    target user with a passwords file, to a

    numeric range or user list with a few

    specific passwords.

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    6) MESSAGEMessage module is prepared to test

    message features of SIP services.

    Message support is required to test

    value added services and service

    operations of SIP operators. It supports

    message spoofing, simple fuzz features

    and message based DoS attacks.

    7) PORT SCANNERPort scanner module can test

    registration features of SIP proxies. It

    can perform SIP bounce attacks to

    discover 3rd party SIP servers using

    target SIP services.

    8) DDOS AMPLIFICATIONDDoS testing module prepared to

    initiate DDoS attack demos based on

    SIP error messages. SIP servers send

    error messages 10+ times for bogus

    requests. DDoS module can send IP

    spoofed SIP requests to target SIP

    services and initiate an attack to 3rd

    party victims.

    9) PROXYProxy module is prepared to test SIP

    clients and SIP services with MITM

    proxy features. It supports basic search

    & replace functions to test SIP services.

    Also it can be used to add new features

    to SIP clients, such as invite spoofing,

    proxy headers and fuzzing.

    10) TRUST ANALYZER

    Trust analyzer module is prepared to

    test trust relationships of SIP trunks.

    SIP trunks trust each other in UDP

    based communications. This module can

    send IP spoofed invite or message

    requests to targets to determine trusted

    SIP trunks. When a trusted SIP trunk

    detected, it can send spoofed call and

    message to target SIP clients. Also it has

    simple fuzzing support to test target SIP

    clients using trust relationship.

    About the Author

    Fatih [email protected]

    Fatih Ozavci is Sr. Security Consultant of

    Sense of Security, Australia. He is author of

    Viproy VoIP Penetration and Exploitation

    Testing Kit, also he has published a paper

    about Hacking of SIP Trust Relationships.

    He has discovered many unknown private

    security vulnerabilities, design and protocol

    flaws in VoIP environments for his

    customers. Also he analyzes VoIP design and

    implementation flaws, and helps to improve

    VoIP infrastructures as a service. While

    Fatih's primary expertise is in VoIP

    penetration testing, mobile applicationtesting and IPTV testing, he is also well

    versed at network penetration testing, web

    application testing, reverse engineering,

    fuzzing and exploit development. He is one

    of the speakers of Defcon 21, Blackhat 2013,

    Cluecon 2013 and Athcon 2013.

    mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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    Network Security

    Basics Part-2This section will demonstrate common

    information security problems mapped with

    OSI seven layers and evaluate the same for

    solutions to secure the organisations

    information resources.

    Layer 1 - Physical Layer

    The physical layer is responsible forthe physical communication

    between end devices .

    The logical first step in securing ourinformation is to insure that the

    physical resources are not

    compromised.

    Quite often, technologists fail torecognize the importance of the

    simple measures, like properly

    locking storage units, server

    cabinets, equipment rooms andoffice spaces.

    Gaining access to resources is thefirst step in compromising them.

    Where is the information stored and

    who might have physical access to it?

    Typically, efforts to physically secureinformation are a shared

    responsibility between technologists

    and those who manage the facility in

    which the information resides.

    In some organizations, you musthave a card key, hardware key,

    biometric access to enter areas

    where sensitive information can be

    accessed.

    Even with the resources physicallylocked, they are at risk.

    Social engineering is a form ofinfiltration that takes advantage of

    common social interaction to gain

    physical access. Environmental factors should alsobe considered.

    In extreme circumstances, a gooddisaster recovery plan is essential in

    the event that information resources

    are compromised.

    Off-site data storage, assetinventories and vendor contacts are

    critical to knowing what to replace,

    where to get replacements and how

    to restore access.

    Physical Layer Vulnerabilities

    Loss of Power Loss of Environmental Control Physical Theft of Data and Hardware

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    Physical Damage or Destruction ofData And Hardware

    Unauthorized changes to thefunctional environment (data

    connections, removable media,

    adding/removing resources) Disconnection of Physical Data

    Links

    Undetectable Interception of Data Keystroke & Other Input Logging

    Physical Layer Controls

    Locked perimeters and enclosures Electronic lock mechanisms for

    logging & detailed authorization

    Video & Audio Surveillance PIN & password secured locks Biometric authentication system Training users against Social

    Engineering

    Physical locks, both on equipmentand facilities housing the equipment,

    are imperative to keep intruders out.

    In order to use information one

    must have access to it.

    Building up good Disaster RecoveryPlanLayer 2 - Data Link Layer

    Data Link Layer is responsibility isto place frames on the network

    medium and insure that delivery is

    error free. This is where the MAC

    (hardware) address of

    communication devices is utilized

    and checksums for error in deliveryare applied.

    A device that runs on promiscuousmode when used with packet filter

    can be helpful for analysers and

    hackers as well to analysis traffic for

    flow analysis, problem

    determination and code debugging.

    A hacker prefers using software tospoof a MAC address, capturing

    traffic destined for a specific

    machine. In either event, contained

    in the traffic could be important data

    or even usernames and passwordsfor access to even more sensitive

    information.

    Data Link Layer Vulnerability

    Examples

    MAC Address Spoofing (stationclaims the identity of another)

    VLAN circumvention (station mayforce direct communication with

    other stations, bypassing logicalcontrols such as subnets and

    firewalls.)

    ARP Poisoning attack. Spanning Tree errors may be

    accidentally or purposefully

    introduced, causing the layer two

    environments to transmit packets in

    infinite loops.

    In wireless media situations, layertwo protocols may allow free

    connection to the network by

    unauthorized entities, or weak

    authentication and encryption may

    allow a false sense of security.

    Switches may be forced to floodtraffic to all VLAN ports rather than

    selectively forwarding to the

    appropriate ports, allowing

    interception of data by any device

    connected to a VLAN.

    Data Link Layer Controls

    MAC Address Filtering- Identifyingstations by address and cross-

    referencing physical port or logical

    access

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    Layer 2 switches provide the abilityto create logically separate LANs on

    the same physical device, called

    VLANs. Using traffic and protocol

    access control lists or filters provides

    us with some form of protection atthis layer.

    Quality-of-Service marking andprioritization control protocols give

    us the ability to control and better

    utilize existing bandwidth. This is

    typically accomplished using

    appropriate class-of-service or

    differentiated services code point

    (DSCP) values.

    Disabling untrusted Layer 2 portswill reduce traffic to and from hosts.

    Disable the default VLAN 1 port [5].As you tighten up your defences at

    Layer 2, you will need to leave a port

    open for management purposes,

    preferably out-of-band.

    Do not always use VLANs to enforcesecure designs. Layers of trust

    should be physically isolated from

    one another, with policy engines

    such as firewalls between. Wireless applications must be

    carefully evaluated for unauthorized

    access exposure. Built-in encryption,

    authentication, and MAC filtering

    may be applied to secure networks.

    Telnet capabilities should becompletely filtered if not required.

    Layer 3 - Network Layer

    Network layer is used to determinethe best path from source to

    destination host on a network.

    IP addresses are assigned andutilized at this layer for unique

    identification. For communication

    with internet public IP address

    should be assigned. This address

    allows a system to contact the

    outside world and allows the outside

    world to contact the host. It is logical

    to consider this border to our system

    vulnerable.

    Network Layer Vulnerabilities

    Route spoofing - propagation of falsenetwork topology

    IP Address Spoofing- false sourceaddressing on malicious packets

    Identity & Resource ID Vulnerability- Reliance on addressing to identify

    resources and peers can be brittleand vulnerable

    Network Layer Controls

    Route policy controls - Use strictanti-spoofing and route filters at

    network edges

    Firewalls with strong filter & anti-spoof policy

    ARP/Broadcast monitoring software Implementations that minimize the

    ability to abuse protocol features

    such as Broadcast Network Address Translation (NAT)

    is a service that temporarily assigns

    a private IP address to a public IP

    address. In this sense, for a time,

    there is a one-to-one relationship

    between a private and a public

    address. It is necessary to lease a

    pool of public IP address for NAT to

    work.

    Port Address Translations (PAT), onthe other hand, allows a single public

    IP address to be bound to multiple

    virtual ports. In this way, multiple

    networked hosts can share a single

    public identity on the Internet,

    providing a more cost effective and

    secure solution. In either event, the

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    Overloading of transport-layermechanisms such as port numbers

    limit the ability to effectively filter

    and qualify traffic.

    Transmission mechanisms can besubject to spoofing and attack basedon crafted packets and the educated

    guessing of flow and transmission

    values, allowing the disruption or

    seizure of control of

    communications.

    Transport Layer Controls

    Strict firewall rules limiting access tospecific transmission protocols and

    subprotocol information such asTCP/UDP port number or ICMP

    type

    Stateful inspection at firewall layer,preventing out-of-state packets,

    illegal flags, and other phony

    packet profiles from entering the

    perimeter

    Stronger transmission and layersession identification mechanisms to

    prevent the attack and takeover of

    communications

    Prioritization based on applicationallows us to better control and utilize

    our bandwidth. Better control

    measures offer a more secure a level

    of service.

    Further securing of this layer cantake place by using a secure form of

    TCP.

    Extended Three-way Handshakeextends traditional TCPhandshaking techniques to deliver

    negotiation data and key exchange

    data.

    State Transition is a secure TCPmethod that utilizes host state to

    differentiate authorized

    transmissions.

    Data integrity can be achievedthrough MAC (Message

    Authentication Code) to identify if

    an attacker has modified data.

    Data confidentiality can be achievedthrough encryption and must beaddressed at the same time as data

    integrity.

    Layer 5 - Session Layer

    Session layer is use to facilitatecommunication with a receiving

    device by establishing, maintaining,

    synchronizing, controlling and

    terminating connections. In short

    deals with session handling betweensystems. During this process of

    communication, verification of

    entities can take place.

    Also referred to as Transport LayerSecurity, Secure Socket Layers (SSL)

    is a technology designed to confirm

    the identity of hosts and servers.

    Although called Transport Layer

    Security, this function lies just above

    the transport layer and is truly

    session layer based.

    SSL is often the protocol used forsecure credit card transactions on

    the Internet. Using server

    authentication, a servers identity

    can be verified by a Certificate

    Authority (CA) using Public Key

    cryptography. The same can be

    applied using client side

    authentication.

    SSL uses different ciphers,cryptographic algorithms, to provideencrypted session services. Cipher

    suits provide a wide range of

    encryption settings.

    The SSL Handshake Protocolenables the authenticated client and

    server to negotiate which cipher will

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    be used. This helps reducesusceptibility to a man-in-the-

    middle attack, so even if the session

    gets intercepted, the data would be

    protected by encryption.

    Session Layer Vulnerabilities

    Weak or non-existent authenticationmechanisms

    Passing of session credentials suchas user ID and password in the clear,

    allowing intercept and unauthorized

    use

    Session identification may be subjectto spoofing and hijack

    Leakage of information based onfailed authentication attempts Unlimited failed sessions allow

    brute-force attacks on access

    credentials

    Session Layer Controls

    Encrypted password exchange andstorage

    Accounts have specific expirationsfor credentials and authorization

    Protect session identificationinformation via

    random/cryptographic means

    Limit failed session attempts viatiming mechanism, not lockout

    Layer 6 - Presentation Layer

    Presentation Layer deals withencryption. When the data is

    received, what form will it take?Encryption techniques allow us to

    scramble the packet contents,

    requiring a special code to reveal

    them.

    The more sophisticated theencryption algorithm, the harder it is

    to gain access to the data.

    Proper planning is necessary tocalculate security needs and balance

    them with resource limitations.

    Presentation Layer Vulnerabilities

    Poor handling of unexpected inputcan lead to application crashes or

    surrender of control to execute

    arbitrary instructions.

    Unintentional or ill-advised use ofexternally supplied input in control

    contexts may allow remote

    manipulation or information

    leakage.

    Cryptographic flaws may beexploited to circumvent privacyprotections

    Presentation Layer Controls

    Careful specification and checking ofreceived input incoming into

    applications or library functions

    Separation of user input andprogram control functions- input

    should be sanitized and sanity

    checked before being passed intofunctions that use the input to

    control operation

    Careful and continuous review ofcryptography solutions to ensure

    current security versus know and

    emerging threats.

    Layer 7 Application Layer

    Application layer is the layer whereservices support user applications,that authentication takes place.

    The most common form ofauthentication is username and

    password which should have unique

    ID and confidential password.

    Therefore, it is essential to have

    an effective account policy.

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    Encryption of these two credentials,username and password, is also

    feasible at this level. Application

    layer encryption adds yet another

    element of protection.

    Application Layer Vulnerabilities

    Open design issues allow free use ofapplication resources by unintended

    parties

    Backdoors and application designflaws bypass standard security

    controls

    Inadequate security controls forceall-or-nothing approach, resulting

    in either excessive or insufficientaccess.

    Overly complex application securitycontrols tend to be bypassed or

    poorly understood and

    implemented.

    Program logic flaws may beaccidentally or purposely used to

    crash programs or cause undesired

    behaviour

    Application Layer Controls

    Application level access controls todefine and enforce access to

    application resources.

    Controls must be detailed andflexible, but also straightforward to

    prevent complexity issues from

    masking policy and implementation

    weakness

    Standards, testing, and review ofapplication code and functionality-A

    baseline is used to measure

    application implementation and

    recommend improvements

    IDS systems to monitor applicationinquiries and activity

    Some host-based firewall systemscan regulate traffic by application,

    preventing unauthorized or covert

    use of the network.

    About the Author

    Anagha Devale-Vartakhttp://avsecurity.in

    Anagha is an Information Security

    professional with experience in

    Vulnerability Assessment, Web

    Application Audit, Database Audit,

    Antivirus Review, and Compliance

    Audit. She holds CCNA and CEH

    certification.

    http://avsecurity.in/http://avsecurity.in/http://avsecurity.in/
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