The sys admin's daily grind: TLS Interposer
Rescuer at Hand

Many of the recent Linux exploits are the result of vulnerabilities in SSL libraries. TLS Interposer can help calm the waves.
The Poodle attack (Padding Oracle On Downgraded Legacy Encryption) relied on TLS implementations that failed to respond to requests from clients with new TLS versions. They then assumed that the server did not speak TLS at all and switched to the totally obsolete and vulnerable SSLv3. Attackers simply let TLS connections crash into the wall and cheered when the client dug out SSLv3.
Heartbleed was also an implementation error. It gave attackers the ability to read 64KB of the server's RAM – multiple times in succession – thus allowing certificate keys to fall into the wrong hands. Bruce Schneier said at the time that, on a scale of 1 to 10, this was a category 11 disaster [1].
Administrators can avoid all of this pain by keeping the TLS implementations on their servers up to date. But, what if you are forced to run applications that do not even support the latest TLS versions? True to the adage of "Never change a running system," many people stubbornly stick with Apache 2.2, or other services that are of value only to archaeologists.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.
-
EU Sovereign Tech Fund Gains Traction
OpenForum Europe recently released a report regarding a sovereign tech fund with backing from several significant entities.