KB0062 - TLS Cipher Suites

KB0062 - TLS Cipher Suites

Problem

Your organization has security concerns about the TLS cipher suites that are utilized by PowerShell Universal. You may have been informed by your security team (pen testers) that your instance of PowerShell Universal is vulnerable due to the TLS cipher suites that it supports.

Scope

This topic applies to all installation types of PowerShell Universal as all versions support using the HTTPS protocol[1].

Conclusion

PowerShell Universal uses and supports the TLS cipher suites that the operating system instructs it to. The configuration and availability of the TLS cipher suites that PowerShell Universal is the responsibility of the server owner. The server owner must consult with the security officers of the organization to determine which TLS cipher suites are considered acceptable for client connections.

Recommended Remediations

Below are two recommended apps that admins can use to assess the situation. Assess with the security officers of your organization. Plan any needed changes with your organization. Always test the changes in your test environment first.

Option 1

For Windows servers, the recommended option is to use the free lightweight app IIS Crypto by Nartac Software. It provides a UI to easily change the preference and availability of the TLS cipher suites.


(figure shows the UI version of IIS Crypto running on a Windows Server 2016 server with default settings)

Option 2

sslscan can provide a useful assessment report. Consult with your administrators to make the needed changes.


(figure shows running sslscan from Kali Linux against an instance of PowerShell Universal running on Windows Server 2016 with default TLS settings in a test lab)

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