CVE-2011-4770 in Wallet
Summary
by MITRE
The QIWI Wallet (ru.mw) application before 1.14.2 for Android does not properly protect data, which allows remote attackers to read or modify financial information via a crafted application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2019
The CVE-2011-4770 vulnerability affects the QIWI Wallet mobile application for Android systems, representing a critical data protection flaw that undermines the security of financial transactions and user information. This vulnerability exists within the application's implementation of data handling mechanisms, specifically failing to establish proper cryptographic protections and access controls for sensitive financial data stored on or transmitted by the mobile device. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects a financial application that processes monetary transactions, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking to exploit financial data exposure.
The technical flaw stems from the application's inadequate implementation of data protection measures, allowing attackers to manipulate or access financial information through a specially crafted malicious application. This represents a failure in the application's security architecture where sensitive data is not properly encrypted, access controls are insufficient, or data validation mechanisms are absent. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-312, which deals with cleartext storage of sensitive information, indicating that financial data is stored in an unencrypted format that can be directly read by unauthorized applications. The flaw enables attackers to leverage the Android application framework's permissions model to gain access to sensitive information through malicious applications that can interact with the vulnerable application's data storage mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to encompass potential financial fraud and unauthorized transactions. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to access users' financial information including account balances, transaction histories, and potentially payment credentials that could enable unauthorized financial activities. This vulnerability creates an attack surface that allows for persistent access to financial data, as the compromised application can maintain access to sensitive information even after initial exploitation. The threat landscape for such vulnerabilities includes mobile malware campaigns, where attackers distribute malicious applications that can leverage the weakness to access the QIWI Wallet data, potentially leading to significant financial losses for users and reputational damage for the service provider.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of credential access and data protection bypass. Attackers can leverage the application's insufficient data protection measures to perform data extraction and modification operations without requiring physical access to the device or advanced exploitation techniques. The vulnerability's remediation requires implementing proper cryptographic protection for sensitive data, establishing robust access controls, and ensuring that application data is properly secured through encryption at rest and in transit. Organizations should implement mobile application security controls including secure data storage practices, proper input validation, and comprehensive application sandboxing to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in future implementations. The fix typically involves updating the application to properly encrypt sensitive data, implement secure storage mechanisms, and ensure that financial information is protected through industry-standard cryptographic practices as recommended by NIST guidelines for mobile application security.