CVE-2014-3603

Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch in Shibboleth Identity Provider and OpenSAML Java

The (1) HttpResource and (2) FileBackedHttpResource implementations in Shibboleth Identity Provider (IdP) before 2.4.1 and OpenSAML Java 2.6.2 do not verify that the server hostname matches a domain name in the subject's Common Name (CN) or subjectAltName field of the X.509 certificate, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof SSL servers via an arbitrary valid certificate.

CVE-2014-3603 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.4.1, 2.6.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2014-3603? CVE-2014-3603 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in edu.internet2.middleware:shibboleth-identityprovider (maven), affecting versions < 2.4.1. It is fixed in 2.4.1, 2.6.2.
2. How severe is CVE-2014-3603? CVE-2014-3603 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which packages are affected by CVE-2014-3603?
   • edu.internet2.middleware:shibboleth-identityprovider (maven) (versions < 2.4.1)
   • org.opensaml:opensaml (maven) (versions < 2.6.2)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2014-3603? Yes. CVE-2014-3603 is fixed in 2.4.1, 2.6.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2014-3603 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2014-3603 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2014-3603 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2014-3603?
   • Upgrade edu.internet2.middleware:shibboleth-identityprovider to 2.4.1 or later
   • Upgrade org.opensaml:opensaml to 2.6.2 or later

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