URGENT: OpenVPN software needs to be fixed due to this bug

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innogen
OpenVPN Power User
Posts: 87
Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 8:14 am

URGENT: OpenVPN software needs to be fixed due to this bug

Post by innogen » Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:14 am

On behalf of users of OpenVPN software, I request its developers (such as Samuli) to quickly fix the OpenSSL bug present in the current version of OpenVPN (Community Edition), which is 2.3.2-I003.

The exploit is very serious and has been out in the wild for over two years now (see http://heartbleed.com/)

For further information about the exploit, see:

http://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detai ... -2014-0160
http://www.openssl.org/news/secadv_20140407.txt

There is no time to lose now.

OpenVPN developers should also seriously consider whether they ought to provide a fix for the vulnerability discovered by Tor developers (see my other post on topic15306.html)

On behalf of users of OpenVPN software, I thank in advance for the developers' sense of responsibility and commitment to making their software secure and robust.

nrUCm
OpenVpn Newbie
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 5:07 pm

Re: URGENT: OpenVPN software needs to be fixed due to this b

Post by nrUCm » Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:37 am

as far as i can tell, people that have been using the additional TLS-Auth option should be safe, correct?

innogen
OpenVPN Power User
Posts: 87
Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 8:14 am

Re: URGENT: OpenVPN software needs to be fixed due to this b

Post by innogen » Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:15 pm

nrUCm wrote:as far as i can tell, people that have been using the additional TLS-Auth option should be safe, correct?
No. TLS and OpenSSL are two different concepts.

innogen
OpenVPN Power User
Posts: 87
Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 8:14 am

Re: URGENT: OpenVPN software needs to be fixed due to this b

Post by innogen » Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:18 pm

At the time of this writing ALL *nix distros have already issued patches to fix the security flaw.

We will see how long OpenVPN developers take to issue a fix.

nrUCm
OpenVpn Newbie
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2013 5:07 pm

Re: URGENT: OpenVPN software needs to be fixed due to this b

Post by nrUCm » Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:45 pm

but shouldn't that option stop anything reaching the TLS handshake layer?

see https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-sour ... l#security


please note that i am not trying to correct you; i simply do not know...

innogen
OpenVPN Power User
Posts: 87
Joined: Sun May 22, 2011 8:14 am

Re: URGENT: OpenVPN software needs to be fixed due to this b

Post by innogen » Tue Apr 08, 2014 1:29 pm

Look, a majority of OpenVPN users do not use tls-auth option.

Besides a cardinal rule in developing software is to patch security holes when the latter are discovered. It will instill in users confidence in using the product, am I right? (As long as OpenVPN makes use of OpenSSL, the former should issue fixes.)

aperson
OpenVpn Newbie
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:02 pm

Re: URGENT: OpenVPN software needs to be fixed due to this b

Post by aperson » Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:05 pm

innogen wrote:Look, a majority of OpenVPN users do not use tls-auth option.
I do use the tls-auth option and am trying to determine exploitability. Upgrading all users would be a significantly disruptive task, and if it can be performed in a more controlled and less hectic manner it will be a better experience for everyone.

The literature I found online indicates the _server_ would be protected from the client when it is used, but I am not 100% certain.

What I am even less certain of is if the _client_ is protected from a malicious server who attempts to exploit it before the handshake completes. Are all of the server's handshake messages similarly protected for the client?

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