CVE-2014-4889 in Diabetic Diet Guide
Summary
by MITRE
The Diabetic Diet Guide (aka com.wDiabeticDietGuide) application 2.1 for Android does not verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information via a crafted certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4889 affects the Diabetic Diet Guide Android application version 2.1, representing a critical security flaw in certificate validation mechanisms. This issue resides in the application's implementation of SSL/TLS communication protocols where the software fails to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by remote servers. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack surface that enables malicious actors to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against unsuspecting users of the application.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's failure to validate SSL certificates against trusted certificate authorities, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. This weakness directly violates established security protocols and represents a violation of the CWE-295 weakness category, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation. The vulnerability enables attackers to establish fake SSL connections that the application accepts without proper authentication, creating a pathway for data interception and manipulation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users of the diabetic diet guide application to serious privacy and security risks. Attackers can intercept sensitive health information transmitted through the application, potentially gaining access to personal medical data, user credentials, or other confidential information. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to potential medical fraud, identity theft, and compromise of user health records. This vulnerability particularly affects users who rely on the application for managing their diabetic conditions, making the security breach especially dangerous for vulnerable populations.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers credential harvesting through phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks. The application's failure to implement proper certificate pinning or validation creates an environment where attackers can seamlessly intercept communications without detection. Organizations should consider implementing certificate pinning strategies, network monitoring, and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, the vulnerability underscores the importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Mobile Top 10 and mobile security frameworks that emphasize proper SSL/TLS implementation and certificate validation mechanisms.