CVE-2014-5569 in Star Girl
Summary
by MITRE
The Star Girl (aka com.animoca.google.starGirl) application 3.4.1 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 • 08/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5569 affects the Star Girl Android application version 3.4.1, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's approach to establishing trusted connections with remote servers. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS handshakes, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the fundamental security guarantees of encrypted communications. The issue falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, specifically addressing the validation of certificates against a trusted authority.
The technical flaw manifests when the application establishes secure connections to remote servers without performing proper certificate verification. This means that the application accepts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of whether it was issued by a trusted certificate authority or if it matches the expected server identity. Attackers can exploit this weakness by setting up malicious servers that present forged certificates, allowing them to intercept and manipulate communications between the vulnerable application and legitimate servers. The vulnerability creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where adversaries can transparently redirect traffic to their own servers while maintaining the appearance of legitimate communication. This weakness directly violates industry best practices outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1573.001 for securing communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it can lead to comprehensive compromise of user data and application functionality. Attackers can obtain sensitive information such as user credentials, personal data, financial information, and other confidential details that the application processes during normal operation. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of communications, potentially enabling unauthorized access to user accounts, data exfiltration, and session hijacking. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for authentication, data synchronization, or transaction processing are particularly at risk, as the vulnerability can be exploited across multiple attack vectors. The impact is amplified in environments where users may be connected to untrusted networks such as public wifi hotspots, where the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks is significantly higher.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers must ensure that the application validates X.509 certificates against trusted certificate authorities using established validation libraries and frameworks. The implementation should include hostname verification to confirm that certificates match the expected server names and should reject self-signed certificates or those from untrusted sources. Security patches should enforce certificate pinning where appropriate, ensuring that only specific certificates or certificate authorities are accepted. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should follow the security principles outlined in NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and align with the mobile security recommendations from the Mobile Security Framework. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that certificate validation mechanisms remain effective against evolving attack techniques and that the application maintains proper security posture throughout its lifecycle.