CVE-2012-3886 in AirDroid
Summary
by MITRE
AirDroid 1.0.4 beta uses the MD5 algorithm for values in the checklogin key parameter and 7bb cookie, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain cleartext data by sniffing the local wireless network and then conducting a (1) brute-force attack or (2) rainbow-table attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-3886 affects AirDroid version 1.0.4 beta and represents a significant cryptographic weakness in the application's authentication mechanism. This issue stems from the application's reliance on the MD5 hashing algorithm for critical security parameters including the checklogin key parameter and the 7bb cookie. The use of MD5 in this context creates a substantial security risk as the algorithm is known to be cryptographically weak and susceptible to various attack vectors. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows remote attackers to compromise the authentication process through passive network monitoring.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's implementation of weak cryptographic primitives for session management and user authentication. When users authenticate to the AirDroid service, their credentials or session tokens are processed through MD5 hashing, which produces a 128-bit hash value. This approach fundamentally undermines the security of the authentication system because MD5 is vulnerable to collision attacks and has been deprecated for cryptographic purposes since 2005. The weakness becomes exploitable when attackers can intercept network traffic through wireless network sniffing operations, capturing the hashed values that are transmitted between client and server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft to encompass potential unauthorized access to sensitive user data and system resources. Attackers who successfully exploit this weakness can perform brute-force attacks against the MD5-hashed values or utilize precomputed rainbow tables to reverse-engineer the original cleartext data. This compromise allows unauthorized individuals to gain access to user accounts, potentially leading to data breaches, privacy violations, and unauthorized system control. The local wireless network environment provides an ideal attack surface since wireless traffic is inherently more accessible than wired connections, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in public or shared network environments.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-327, which specifically addresses the use of weak cryptographic algorithms, and demonstrates a clear violation of security best practices outlined in NIST Special Publication 800-131A. The attack vector described in CVE-2012-3886 corresponds to techniques found in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1566 category for credential harvesting through network sniffing. Organizations and developers should recognize that this vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in security implementation, as MD5 should never be used for password hashing or session management in modern applications. The recommended mitigations include immediate replacement of MD5 with stronger cryptographic algorithms such as SHA-256 or SHA-3, implementation of proper password hashing mechanisms using bcrypt or scrypt, and enforcement of secure communication protocols including TLS encryption to prevent passive network monitoring attacks. Additionally, session management should be redesigned to avoid predictable hash values and implement proper session timeout mechanisms to limit the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit captured authentication tokens.