Bulletin on Migrating from SSL and Early TLS
A Resource Guide from the PCI Security Standards Council
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) is extending the migration
completion date to 30 June 2018 for transitioning from Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) andTransport Layer Security (TLS) v1.0 to a secure version of TLS (currently v1.1 or higher).

PCI DSS 3.1:

SSL/Early TLS
No Longer Secure

These dates provided by PCI SSC as of December 2015 supersede the original dates issued
in both PCI Data Security Standard v3.1 (PCI DSS 3.1) and in the Migrating from SSL andearly TLS Information Supplement in April 2015.
Read on for answers to questions about new timelines, requirements and reasons for the
adjustments. Thank you to all who have provided feedback on the issue, including membersof the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), members of the Financial Services
Information Sharing Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), Retail Solution Providers Association, Hotel
Technology Next Generation, National Restaurant Association and Retail Industry Leaders
Association.

SSL

EARLY

TLS

In addition to the answers below, more information can be found by viewing the SSL/
TLS Migration webcast.

HOW BIG IS THE RISK?
The vulnerabilities within SSL and early TLS are serious. A slew of high-profile breaches caused by POODLE, Heartbleed and Freak are due to
weaknesses within the protocols.
18 months after the Heartbleed vulnerability wasannounced, it was reported that there still was

200,000+

In November 2015,

67%

VULNERABLE
DEVICESof sitessurveyed had

INADEQUATE SECURITY

on the internet.

Source: TrustworthInternet.org

ACTION ITEMS FOR YOUR ORGANIZATIONIn April 2015, PCI SSC issued initial guidance and removed SSL as an example of strong cryptography from the PCI Data Security Standard(PCI DSS), stating that it can no longer be used as a security control after 30 June 2016. After seeking extensive marketplace feedback, thePCI Security Standards Council revised and updated sunset dates.
In total, the revisions state:• All processing and third party entities – including Acquirers, Processors, Gateways and Service Providers must provide a TLS 1.1 or greater
service offering by June 2016
• Consistent with the existing language in the DSS v3.1, all new implementations must be enabled with TLS 1.1 or greater• All processing and third party entities must cutover to a secure version of TLS (as defined by NIST) effective June 2018
• The use of SSL/TLS 1.0 within a POI terminal that can be verified as not being susceptible to all known exploits for SSL and early TLS,
with no demonstrative risk can be used beyond June 2018 consistent with the existing language in the DSS v3.1 for such an exception

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Migrating from SSL and Early TLS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON SSL AND EARLY TLS
Q

Why change the original date for SSL included in PCI DSS v3.1?
A: For more than 20 years Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) has been one of the most widely-used encryption protocols. It
remains in widespread use today despite existence of a number of security vulnerabilities and being deprecated by
NIST in 2014.
According to NIST, there are no fixes or patches that can adequately repair SSL or early TLS. Therefore, it is criticallyimportant that organizations upgrade to a secure alternative as soon as possible, and disable any fallback to both SSL
and early TLS.
In April 2015, after extensive marketplace feedback, PCI SSC removed SSL as an example of strong cryptography fromthe PCI Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) v3.1, stating that is can no longer be used as a security control after 30 June
2016. During the implementation period of PCI DSS v3.1, PCI SSC continued to seek feedback from the market, andhas now revised and updated sunset dates.
The new date of June 2018 offers additional time to migrate to more secure protocols, but waiting is notrecommended. The existence of the POODLE and Heartbleed exploits, among others, prove that anyone using SSL
and early TLS risks being breached.
In total, the revisions state:
1. All processing and third party entities – including Acquirers, Processors, Gateways and Service Providers must
provide a TLS 1.1 or greater service offering by June 2016.
2. Consistent with the existing language in PCI DSS v3.1, all new implementations must be enabled with TLS 1.1 orgreater. TLS 1.2 is recommended. (New implementations are when there is no existing dependency on the useof the vulnerable protocols – see PCI SSC Information Supplement: Migrating from SSL and Early TLS.)
3. All entities must cutover to use only a secure version of TLS (as defined by NIST) effective 30 June 2018 (with thefollowing exception).
4. The use of SSL/early TLS within a Point of Interaction (POI) terminal and its termination point that can beverified as not being susceptible to all known exploits for SSL and early TLS, with no demonstrative risk, canbe used beyond June 2018 consistent with the existing language in PCI DSS v3.1 for such an exception.
April 2014
NIST – SSL & TLS 1.0
UnsafeQ

April 2015
PCI Council Issues
PCI DSS v3.1 andInitial Guidance

PCI Council Seeks
Industry Input

Marketplace
Feedback

December 2015
PCI Council Issues New
Migration Dates &Updated Guidance

What is the PCI Standards Security Council doing next?
A: PCI DSS v3.1 will be updated in 2016. Information supplements and additional guidance will also be updated at
this time.

UNDERSTANDING THE RISKQ

What is SSL/TLS?
A: Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol used to establish a secure communications channel between
two systems. It is used to authenticate one or both systems, and protect the confidentiality and integrity of
information that passes between systems.

Q

What is the history of SSL/TLS?
A: TLS was originally developed as SSL- Secure Sockets Layer by Netscape in the early 1990s. Standardized by theInternet Engineering Taskforce (IETF), TLS has undergone several revisions to improve security to block known attacks
and add support for new cryptographic algorithms, with major revisions to SSL 3.0 in 1996, TLS 1.0 in 1990, TLS 1.1 in2006, and TLS 1.2 in 2008.

Q

What are the SSL/TLS Vulnerabilities?
A: Because of its widespread use online, SSL and TLS have been targeted by security researchers and attackers.
Many vulnerabilities in SSL and TLS have been uncovered over the past 20 years.
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Migrating from SSL and Early TLS

Q

What are the different classes of vulnerabilities?
A: Protocol Vulnerabilities: There are many! Cryptographic vulnerabilities in either the SSL/TLS protocol itself, or in how it
uses cryptographic algorithms. e.g., POODLE, BEAST, CRIME.
Implementation Vulnerabilities: Vulnerabilities in TLS software. E.g., Heartbleed’s Buffer over-read vulnerability in
OpenSSL.
Configuration Vulnerabilities: e.g., weak cipher suites or key sizes. Logjam attacks using export-grade cryptography.

Q

What are the impacts of vulnerabilities?
A: Loss of confidentiality or integrity: Many of the attacks, particularly protocol vulnerabilities, allow for Man-in-theMiddle attacks allowing an attacker to decrypt sensitive information.
Loss of cryptographic keys: In some of the most serious cases, vulnerabilities could allow an attack to steal long-lived
cryptographic keys.

Q

Who is most susceptible to SSL vulnerabilities?
A: Online and e-commerce environments using SSL (and early versions of TLS) are most susceptible to the SSL exploits
and attacks and should be upgraded immediately. With that being said, the PCI DSS migration date of 30 June2018 applies to all environments (except for POI environments as stated above).

Q

What you can and should do now?
A: Migrate to a minimum of TLS 1.1, preferably TLS 1.2. While it is possible to implement countermeasures against
some attacks on TLS, migrating to a later version of TLS - notably TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 - is the only reliable method toprotect yourself from the current protocol vulnerabilities.
Patch TLS software against implementation vulnerabilities. Implementation vulnerabilities, such as Heartbleed
in OpenSSL, can pose serious risks. Keep your TLS software up-to-date to ensure you are patched against thesevulnerabilities, and have countermeasures for other attacks.
Configure TLS securely. In addition to providing support for later versions of TLS, ensure your TLS implementationis configured securely. Ensure you’re supporting secure TLS cipher suites and key sizes, and disable support forother cipher suites that are not necessary for interoperability. For example, disable support for weak “Export-Grade”
cryptography, which was the source of the recent Logjam vulnerability.

Q

If my payment terminals (POIs) use SSL or TLS 1.0 for encryption, do I need to replace my payment terminals?
A: Not necessarily. POIs are currently not as susceptible to the same known vulnerabilities as browser-based systems.
Therefore, after 30 June 2018, POI devices (and the termination points to which they connect) that can be verified
as not being susceptible to any of the known exploits for SSL and early versions of TLS may continue to use SSL /early TLS.
If SSL/early TLS is used, the POIs and their termination points must have up-to-date patches, and ensure only thenecessary extensions are enabled.
Additionally, use of weak cipher suites or unapproved algorithms – e.g., RC4, MD5, and others – is NOT allowed.

Q

Who can verify my POIs meet the above characteristics?
A: Entities may contact the terminal vendors directly for evidence or attestation that payment devices are notsusceptible to known vulnerabilities. Entities may also consult with knowledgeable security professionals to obtain
verification. The verification will need to occur any time a new SSL/TLS vulnerability is discovered, and organizations
will need to remain up-to-date with vulnerability trends to determine whether or not they are susceptible toany known exploits. New threats and risks must continue to be managed in accordance with applicable PCI DSS
Requirements, such as 6.1, 6.2, and 11.2.

Q

Do all POIs use SSL for encryption?
A: No. Newer payment devices should already be using secure protocols such as TLS version 1.2. Check with the terminal
manufacturer or terminal documentation to understand what level of encryption your particular POI uses. If a device
does not need to support SSL/early TLS, disable both use of and fallback to these versions.

3© 2015 PCI Security Standards Council LLC.
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Migrating from SSL and Early TLS

Q

My ASV scan is flagging the presence of SSL and my scan is failing. What should I do?
A: Prior to 30 June 2018: Entities that have not completed their migration should provide the ASV with documented
confirmation that they have implemented a Risk Mitigation and Migration Plan and are working to complete theirmigration by the required date. Receipt of this confirmation should be documented by the ASV as an exception under“Exceptions, False Positives, or Compensating Controls” in the ASV Scan Report Executive Summary.
After 30 June 2018: Entities that have not completely migrated away from SSL/early TLS will need to follow theprocess outlined in the ASV Program Guide section entitled “Managing False Positives and Other Disputes” to confirm
the affected system is not susceptible to the particular vulnerabilities. For example, where SSL/early TLS is present but
is not being used as a security control (e.g. is not being used to protect confidentiality of the communication).

Q

Does this mean that I don’t have to address this vulnerability until 2018?
A: No, this is not an excuse to delay addressing vulnerabilities. You should be fixing those vulnerabilities that havepatches.

Q

What if a new attack is discovered on a current version of TLS?
A: It is always important to focus on security and keep track of new vulnerabilities. Technology and threats are constantly
evolving. When new vulnerabilities are discovered they need to be addressed and may result in a need to upgrade
to a newer, more secure version of the TLS protocol. Future-planning is vital to stay protected. Implement strong
options now is the recommended action. PCI DSS already requires organizations to keep systems protected fromvulnerabilities.

Q

What about Approved Scanning Vendors and how this impacts ASV scans?
A: We’re aware that some current SSL vulnerabilities trigger a CVSS, Common Vulnerability Scoring System, score of 4.3.
Any medium to high vulnerabilities, CVSS of 4.0 or higher, must be corrected and rescanned to ensure thevulnerability has been addressed.
However, because there are no known ways to address some SSL/early TLS vulnerabilities, it makes it difficult tocorrect and rescan as with other vulnerabilities.
Prior to 30 June 2018, we recommend every entity work with their ASV and provide their migration plan
as discussed previously. The ASV can document receipt of this plan under the “Exceptions, False Positives,or Compensating Controls” section of the ASV scan report.
After 30 June 2018, if the entity still has SSL or early TLS in its environment, the entity will need to documentthat its systems have been verified as not susceptible to the vulnerability and complete the Addressing
Vulnerabilities with Compensating Controls process for their particular environment.
For POS POI environments, where it has been verified that terminals are not susceptible to current SSL
vulnerabilities, the ASV has the discretion to change the CVSS score for a specific vulnerability as long as they follow
the defined process in the ASV program guide and provide justification for the change. It’s important for the ASV toconsider the clients unique environment before making any changes.

Q

What goes into creating a risk mitigation and migration plan?
A: A risk mitigation and migration plan details how an entity will address the migration to a secure protocol, including
the controls in place to reduce risk associated with SSL and early TLS, until its migration is complete. The plan willneed to be provided to an assessor during an entity’s PCI DSS assessment. An assessor can then check the progressof the plan if a Report on Compliance (ROC) is completed prior to June 2018.

Q

Can you give some examples of information that may need to be included in the risk mitigation andmigration plan?
A: A description of how vulnerable protocols are being used, including:• The type of environment where the protocols are used – e.g. the type of payment channel and functions for which
the protocols are used
• The type of data being transmitted – for example does it include elements of payment card accountdata, administrative connections, etc.

4
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Migrating from SSL and Early TLS• Number and types of systems using and/or supporting the protocols – e.g. POS POI terminals, payment
switches, etc.
The risk assessment results and risk reduction controls currently in place:• Entities should have evaluated and documented the risk to its environment and have implemented risk
reduction controls to help mitigate the risk until the vulnerable protocols can be completely removed.
A description of processes that are implemented to monitor for new vulnerabilities associated with vulnerable
protocols:• Entities need to be proactive and stay informed about new vulnerabilities. As new vulnerabilities are
published, the entity needs to evaluate the risk they pose to its environment and determine if additional risk
reduction controls need to be implemented until the migration is complete.
A description of change-control processes that are implemented to ensure SSL/early TLS is not implemented into
new environments:• If an entity does not currently use or need to support vulnerable protocols, there is no reason why it should
introduce such protocols to their environment. Change controls processes include evaluating the impact of thechange to confirm the change does not introduce a new security weakness into the environment.
An overview of migration project plan including target migration completion date no later than 30 June 2018:• Migration planning documentation includes identifying which systems/environments are being migrated andwhen, as well as a target date by which the overall migration will be completed. The target date for theoverall migration must be on or before 30 June 2018.
Q

Where do you begin with the migration process?
A: Some key points to consider are:• Identify all system components and data flows relying on and/or supporting the vulnerable protocols• For each system component or data flow, identify the business and/or technical need for using the vulnerable
protocol• Immediately remove or disable all instances of vulnerable protocols that do not have a supporting business ortechnical need
• Identify technologies to replace the vulnerable protocols and document secure configurations to be implemented• Document a migration project plan outlining steps and timeframes for updates• Implement risk reduction controls to help reduce susceptibility to known exploits until the vulnerable protocols
are removed from the environment• Perform migrations and follow change control procedures to ensure system updates are tested and authorized• Update system configuration standards as migrations to new protocols are completed• It is important to build a communications element into migration planning. Consider how much leg work it
will take to get agreement on changing
The PCI Council has published very specific guidance on interim risk mitigation approaches, migration
recommendations and alternative options for strong cryptographic protocols, including FAQs and tips for small
merchant environments, all available on the website. The information supplement will be updated with the newdates. However, the guidance in it is still relevant and helpful; please review it for valuable content realizing that thedates will be updated.

Q

I am a small merchant and/or franchisee and my employees are not security professionals. Where can I get
additional support?
A: It is recommended that small merchants and franchisees work with their acquiring bank to determine whether theirenvironment is at risk for SSL or early versions of TLS vulnerabilities.

5© 2015 PCI Security Standards Council LLC.
www.pcisecuritystandards.org

Migrating from SSL and Early TLS

IN-DEPTH BACKGROUND MATERIALSWEBINAR:MIGRATING FROM SSL
AND EARLY TLS

Please join the PCI Council,
NIST and members of theassessor community for this60-minute session that will
provide guidance on making thisimportant transition to protect
your data and your customers.

Summary of Changes from PCI
DSS Version 3.0 to 3.1

Information Supplement:
Migrating from SSL and
Early TLS

View now

National Institute ofStandards and Technology:
Guidelines for the Selection,
Configuration, and Use of
Transport Layer Security (TLS)
Implementations
Source: nist.gov

RELATED RESOURCESMedia: for expert comment, please contact:press@pcisecuritystandards.org
For more information on PCI Standards andresources, visit: www.pcisecuritystandards.org

What are secure websites and
SSL/TLS certificates?

SSL and TLS: A Beginners
Guide

Source: Indiana University

Source: SANS.org

6© 2015 PCI Security Standards Council LLC.
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