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TLS

Core Purpose

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide secure communication over a computer network. It’s the foundation of HTTPS. Its goals are confidentiality (via encryption), integrity (via message authentication codes), and authentication (via certificates).

Cipher Suites

The client and server negotiate a cipher suite during the handshake. This is a named combination of algorithms that defines how the session will be secured.

  • Example: TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384
    • Key Exchange: ECDHE
    • Authentication: RSA
    • Bulk Encryption: AES_256_GCM
    • Integrity Check: SHA384

Attack Vectors

  • Weak Configurations: Use tools like sslscan or testssl.sh to scan servers for security flaws:

    • Support for old, insecure protocols (SSLv3, TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1).
    • Support for weak cipher suites (e.g., those using RC4, 3DES, or NULL encryption).
    • Vulnerability to known attacks (e.g., Heartbleed, POODLE).

  • Certificate Issues: Check for expired certificates, common name mismatches, or certificates signed by untrusted CAs. This can indicate misconfigurations or opportunities for man-in-the-middle attacks.

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