CVE-2013-2318 in MovatwiTouch Paid
Summary
by MITRE
The Content Provider in the MovatwiTouch application before 1.793 and MovatwiTouch Paid application before 1.793 for Android does not properly restrict access to authorization information, which allows attackers to hijack Twitter accounts via a crafted application.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/25/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2318 affects the MovatwiTouch Android applications, specifically versions prior to 1.793 of both the standard and paid variants. This security flaw resides within the application's Content Provider implementation, which serves as a fundamental component for data sharing and communication between different Android application components. The Content Provider mechanism in Android systems is designed to facilitate secure data access and manipulation while maintaining proper authorization controls. However, in this particular implementation, the application fails to enforce adequate access restrictions when handling authorization information, creating a significant security gap that can be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical flaw manifests through improper access control mechanisms within the Content Provider interface. When an application exposes a Content Provider without proper security measures, it allows other applications to access or manipulate the provider's data without appropriate authentication or authorization checks. In the context of MovatwiTouch, this vulnerability specifically impacts how Twitter account authorization information is handled, making it possible for a malicious application to intercept, access, or manipulate the Twitter authentication tokens and credentials stored within the vulnerable application's Content Provider. This weakness directly relates to CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and represents a classic example of insufficient authorization controls in mobile application development. The flaw essentially creates an unauthorized access point that bypasses the normal security boundaries that should protect sensitive user authentication data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it enables complete account hijacking capabilities for threat actors. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to users' Twitter accounts, potentially leading to identity theft, unauthorized posting, data manipulation, and other malicious activities. The attack vector requires the victim to have the vulnerable application installed, but once exploited, the attacker can leverage the stolen Twitter credentials to perform actions that appear to originate from the legitimate user account. This type of attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531, which covers "Account Access Removal" and represents a significant threat to user privacy and digital identity security. The vulnerability essentially transforms the legitimate application into a vector for unauthorized access to social media accounts, making it particularly dangerous for users who rely on the application for social networking activities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate application updates to implement proper access control mechanisms within the Content Provider. Developers must ensure that all Content Providers properly validate incoming requests and implement appropriate permission checks before allowing access to sensitive data. The recommended approach involves implementing android:permission attributes in the Content Provider declaration within the AndroidManifest.xml file, which enforces that only applications with the appropriate permissions can access the provider. Additionally, applications should implement proper data encryption for sensitive authorization information and utilize Android's built-in security mechanisms such as the android:exported attribute to control component exposure. Organizations should also implement regular security audits of their mobile applications, particularly focusing on Content Provider implementations, and ensure that all third-party libraries and components are kept up to date with the latest security patches. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in mobile applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the application development lifecycle.