CVE-2012-5812 in ACRA library
Summary
by MITRE
The ACRA library 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.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/05/2018
The CVE-2012-5812 vulnerability resides within the ACRA library for Android applications, which is widely used for crash reporting and error monitoring. This security flaw fundamentally undermines the SSL/TLS certificate verification process that is critical for establishing secure communications between mobile applications and backend servers. The vulnerability specifically affects how the library handles X.509 certificate validation during secure socket connections, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical flaw in ACRA stems from its failure to properly validate SSL certificates against the expected server hostname. According to industry standards such as CWE-295, this represents a certificate validation weakness where the library does not perform hostname verification as required by RFC 2818 and RFC 6125. The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass the standard certificate validation checks that should ensure the server certificate matches the domain name being accessed. This occurs because the library only validates the certificate's existence and validity but fails to verify that the certificate's subject Common Name (CN) or subjectAltName fields contain the expected domain name, leaving a critical gap in the security chain.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can intercept and manipulate communications between Android applications and their intended servers. When an application using ACRA attempts to establish a secure connection, an attacker with a valid certificate for any domain can present it to the client, and the application will accept it as legitimate due to the missing hostname validation. This creates a dangerous scenario where sensitive data such as crash reports, user information, and application logs could be intercepted, modified, or redirected to malicious servers without the application detecting the compromise. The vulnerability affects any Android application that relies on ACRA for crash reporting, potentially exposing thousands of applications to this risk.
The security implications extend beyond simple data interception, as this vulnerability can be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks within the ATT&CK framework's credential access and defense evasion categories. Attackers can use this weakness to establish persistent access points, redirect traffic to malicious servers, or inject malicious payloads into application communications. Organizations using ACRA for application monitoring and error reporting face significant risk exposure since the library is often deployed in production environments where sensitive data flows through the application. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in mobile application security practices and highlights the importance of proper SSL/TLS implementation in mobile platforms.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate library updates or replacements, as the original ACRA library version containing this vulnerability has been deprecated. Organizations should implement proper hostname verification mechanisms, either by updating to patched versions of ACRA, migrating to alternative crash reporting libraries with proper certificate validation, or implementing custom SSL pinning mechanisms. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of all mobile applications using ACRA to identify potential exposure and ensure proper certificate validation is implemented. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network monitoring and anomaly detection systems to identify potential man-in-the-middle attacks that may exploit this vulnerability. The incident underscores the necessity for robust security practices in mobile application development and the importance of adhering to established security standards for certificate validation in network communications.