CVE-2014-5573 in Appstros - FREE Gift Cards!
Summary
by MITRE
The Appstros - FREE Gift Cards! (aka com.appstros.main) application 1.1.3 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 • 08/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5573 affects the Appstros - FREE Gift Cards Android application version 1.1.3, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This weakness fundamentally undermines the cryptographic security assurances that secure communication protocols are designed to provide. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers, creating an exploitable gap that allows malicious actors to perform man-in-the-middle attacks without facing any certificate validation barriers. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process that should occur during SSL handshakes, where applications typically validate server certificates against trusted certificate authorities to ensure secure communication channels.
This flaw represents a direct violation of fundamental security principles outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and aligns with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications. The vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to establish fraudulent SSL connections by presenting crafted certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The absence of proper certificate chain validation means that the application cannot distinguish between authentic servers and malicious impostors, potentially allowing attackers to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive user data transmitted through the application's network communications. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete session hijacking and potential credential compromise.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are severe for both end users and the application's business integrity. Users interacting with the gift card application may unknowingly transmit personal information, payment details, or account credentials to attacker-controlled servers rather than legitimate service providers. The vulnerability affects all network communications within the application, potentially exposing any data transmitted over HTTPS connections to interception and manipulation. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform session hijacking, redirect users to malicious domains, or inject false content into the application's communication streams. This creates a significant risk for financial transactions and personal data handling that the application's users expect to be secure.
Organizations and developers should implement comprehensive mitigations including proper certificate pinning mechanisms, robust SSL/TLS validation procedures, and regular security assessments of mobile applications. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate validation that checks certificate chains against trusted CAs, implementing certificate pinning to prevent certificate substitution attacks, and ensuring that all SSL connections undergo proper verification before data transmission begins. Additionally, the application should be updated to include proper error handling for certificate validation failures and should implement automatic updates to address such security vulnerabilities. Security controls should align with NIST SP 800-52 guidelines for certificate management and should follow the ATT&CK framework's T1046 technique for network service scanning, as this vulnerability enables attackers to establish unauthorized communication channels. The application should also implement transport layer security best practices including proper TLS version enforcement and strong cipher suite selection to prevent downgrade attacks that could exploit this certificate validation weakness.