CVE-2014-4895 in Time Radio
Summary
by MITRE
The Herpin Time Radio (aka com.herpin.time.radio) application 2.0 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 • 08/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4895 resides within the Herpin Time Radio Android application version 2.0, representing a critical security flaw in the application's cryptographic implementation. This issue manifests as a failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS communications, creating a significant weakness that undermines the application's ability to establish secure connections with remote servers. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's certificate verification process, which is fundamental to maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of data transmitted between the mobile device and backend services.
The technical flaw stems from the application's implementation of SSL/TLS certificate validation, where it fails to perform proper certificate chain verification and trust validation. This weakness allows malicious actors to execute man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The certificate verification process relies on establishing trust through recognized certificate authorities, but the application bypasses these critical validation steps, enabling attackers to impersonate legitimate servers. This flaw operates at the application layer of the network stack, specifically within the SSL/TLS handshake mechanism where certificate validation should occur, making it a direct violation of secure communication protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive attack vectors that can compromise user data and system integrity. Attackers can exploit this weakness to obtain sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, and potentially financial information transmitted through the application. The vulnerability affects all users of the specific Android application version, creating a widespread security risk that persists until the application is updated or the flaw is patched. This represents a significant concern for mobile security and demonstrates the importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. The recommended approach involves configuring the application to validate certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities and implementing certificate pinning to prevent the acceptance of forged certificates. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and ensure that all SSL/TLS communications are properly validated. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a clear violation of the secure coding practices outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project. The attack surface for this vulnerability can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1041 which involves data compression and encryption, as the compromised application fails to provide proper encryption integrity. Additionally, this issue highlights the importance of following the principle of least privilege in mobile application design and demonstrates the critical need for robust cryptographic implementation in mobile platforms.