Vulnerability Discussion

To ensure secure websites protected with External Certificate Authority (ECA) server certificates are properly validated, the system must trust the ECA Root CAs. The ECA root certificates will ensure the trust chain is established for server certificates issued from the External CAs. This requirement only applies to unclassified systems.

Check

Verify the ECA Root CA certificates are installed on unclassified systems as Trusted Root Certification Authorities.

Run "PowerShell" as an administrator.

Execute the following command:

Get-ChildItem -Path Cert:Localmachine\root | Where Subject -Like "*ECA*" | FL Subject, Thumbprint, NotAfter

If the following certificate "Subject" and "Thumbprint" information is not displayed, this is a finding.

Subject: CN=ECA Root CA 4, OU=ECA, O=U.S. Government, C=US
Thumbprint: 73E8BB08E337D6A5A6AEF90CFFDD97D9176CB582
NotAfter: 12/30/2029

Alternately use the Certificates MMC snap-in:

Run "MMC".

Select "File", "Add/Remove Snap-in".

Select "Certificates", click "Add".

Select "Computer account", click "Next".

Select "Local computer: (the computer this console is running on)", click "Finish".

Click "OK".

Expand "Certificates" and navigate to "Trusted Root Certification Authorities >> Certificates".

For each of the ECA Root CA certificates noted below:

Right-click on the certificate and select "Open".

Select the "Details" Tab.

Scroll to the bottom and select "Thumbprint".

If the ECA Root CA certificate below is not listed or the value for the "Thumbprint" field is not as noted, this is a finding.

ECA Root CA 4
Thumbprint: 73E8BB08E337D6A5A6AEF90CFFDD97D9176CB582
Valid to: Sunday, December 30, 2029

Fix

Install the ECA Root CA certificate on unclassified systems.
ECA Root CA 4

The InstallRoot tool is available on Cyber Exchange at https://cyber.mil/pki-pke/tools-configuration-files. Certificate bundles published by the PKI can be found at https://crl.gds.disa.mil/.