CVE-2024-37015

What it actually does

SSL/TLS connections to external services skip hostname validation, allowing forged certificates to be accepted during the handshake.

Why it matters to the business

Attackers can intercept or alter traffic between the server and external services, risking exposure of sensitive data or manipulation of responses without triggering certificate errors.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker on the network path performs a man-in-the-middle attack by supplying a certificate for a different hostname; because validation is absent, the Ada Web Server establishes the encrypted session and proceeds to exchange data with the attacker-controlled endpoint.

How to fix it

Upgrade to a version that enforces proper hostname validation for outbound SSL/TLS connections; if no fixed release is available, disable SSL configuration or route external traffic through a proxy that performs correct certificate validation.

How to confirm the fix worked

Review server configuration for SSL-enabled outbound connections, inspect source code or library usage for explicit hostname verification calls, and test connections against a deliberately mismatched certificate to confirm rejection behavior.

Typical attack path

1. Position network access between the Ada Web Server and the intended external service
2. Intercept the outbound TLS handshake and present a certificate that does not match the target hostname
3. Allow the connection to complete due to missing hostname checks
4. Decrypt, inspect, or modify application data in transit

How to detect it

Examine application and TLS library logs for outbound connection attempts that complete without hostname verification errors; correlate with network flow data showing connections to unexpected IP addresses during the same time windows.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize upgrade or configuration change to enable hostname validation on all outbound TLS connections
• Monitor network traffic for unexpected external endpoints contacted by the server
• Add compensating controls such as outbound TLS inspection proxies until the underlying library is updated