CVE-2012-5811 in Breezy
Summary
by MITRE
The Breezy application for Android does not verify that the server hostname matches a domain name in the subject s Common Name (CN) or subjectAltName field of the X.509 certificate, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof SSL servers via an arbitrary valid certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5811 affects the Breezy application for Android, representing a critical flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly implement hostname verification during SSL connections, creating a significant security gap that can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate validation process where the application does not ensure that the server's hostname aligns with either the Common Name field or the Subject Alternative Name fields within the X.509 certificate structure. This fundamental flaw allows attackers to conduct successful man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting arbitrary valid certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications. The flaw occurs during the SSL/TLS handshake process where the application should verify that the certificate presented by the server matches the domain name it is attempting to connect to. The Breezy application's implementation fails to perform this critical validation step, leaving users exposed to certificate spoofing attacks. When an attacker intercepts communications between the mobile application and a web server, they can present a valid certificate for a different domain, and the application will accept it without question, thereby compromising the integrity of the encrypted communication channel.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the trust model that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to establish. Mobile users connecting to services through the Breezy application become vulnerable to various attack vectors including credential theft, session hijacking, and data manipulation. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that mobile applications often handle sensitive personal and financial information, making this vulnerability especially dangerous in contexts where users might be conducting banking transactions or accessing confidential data. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046, which describes the use of man-in-the-middle attacks to intercept and manipulate network communications, and T1566, which covers social engineering techniques that can be enhanced by SSL stripping attacks.
Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies to protect against potential exploitation. The primary recommendation involves updating the Breezy application to a version that properly implements hostname verification during SSL/TLS connections, ensuring that the application validates certificate subject names against the expected server hostnames. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring and detection mechanisms to identify potential man-in-the-middle attacks on their networks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper certificate validation in mobile applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing during the development lifecycle. Security professionals should also consider implementing network-level protections such as certificate pinning or additional transport layer security measures to provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities that may exist in other applications or services.