CVE-2014-5570 in Dailyfinance - Stocks! News
Summary
by MITRE
The DailyFinance - Stocks & News (aka com.aol.mobile.dailyFinance) application 2.0.2.1 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 • 08/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5570 affects the DailyFinance - Stocks & News mobile application version 2.0.2.1 for Android platforms. This represents a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols, specifically within its handling of SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms. The issue stems from the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure connections, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. This vulnerability directly impacts the fundamental security assurances that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's improper certificate validation process where it fails to perform essential checks on X.509 certificates received from SSL servers. This includes not validating certificate chains, not checking certificate expiration dates, and not verifying certificate signatures against trusted root authorities. The absence of these critical validation steps means that malicious actors can generate and present fraudulent certificates that the application will accept as legitimate. This weakness enables man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can position themselves between the user's device and legitimate servers, intercepting and potentially modifying communications without detection. The vulnerability essentially disables the certificate pinning and trust verification mechanisms that are essential for maintaining secure communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass comprehensive information theft and potential system compromise. Attackers can exploit this weakness to obtain sensitive user information including personal financial data, login credentials, and other confidential information transmitted through the application. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users may access financial applications over public networks, making the attack surface even more extensive. The flaw undermines the trust model that secure mobile applications must maintain, potentially allowing attackers to redirect users to malicious servers while maintaining the appearance of legitimate communication. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across multiple sessions and user interactions with the application.
Organizations and users should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the application where available, implementing network-level monitoring to detect suspicious certificate behavior, and establishing proper certificate pinning strategies. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation and relates to ATT&CK technique T1041 which covers data compression and encryption. Security measures should include implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, regularly updating trusted certificate authorities, and conducting thorough security testing of mobile applications. Network administrators should deploy SSL inspection capabilities to monitor for certificate anomalies and ensure that applications properly validate server certificates against established trust chains. The implementation of robust certificate validation processes represents a fundamental security requirement that must be maintained to prevent the exploitation of such vulnerabilities in mobile financial applications.