CVE-2014-5584 in Background Check BeenVerified
Summary
by MITRE
The Background Check BeenVerified (aka com.beenverified.android) application 4.01.67 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-2014-5584 affects the Background Check BeenVerified Android application version 4.01.67, representing a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This issue falls under the category of insufficient certificate verification within the application's SSL/TLS handshake process, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's cryptographic security measures, specifically in how it handles X.509 certificate validation during secure network connections. According to CWE-295, this represents a weakness in certificate validation that directly impacts the integrity of secure communications.
The technical flaw manifests when the application fails to properly validate SSL certificates presented by remote servers during the connection establishment process. Instead of performing thorough X.509 certificate verification including checking certificate chains, expiration dates, and proper signing authorities, the application accepts any certificate presented by a server. This creates a man-in-the-middle attack surface where attackers can intercept communications by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The flaw essentially disables the certificate pinning mechanism that should protect against such attacks, making the application's secure communication channels susceptible to compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it allows attackers to obtain sensitive information transmitted through the application's secure channels. This includes personal identification data, background check information, and potentially other confidential user data that the application processes. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects an application designed for background checking services, which typically handle highly sensitive personal information. Attackers could exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to user records, potentially leading to identity theft, fraud, or other malicious activities. The attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers data compression and encryption for data exfiltration.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. The recommended approach involves implementing robust certificate pinning, where the application maintains a trusted list of certificate fingerprints or public keys that must match the server's certificate. Additionally, the application should perform complete X.509 certificate chain validation including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying the certificate authority signatures, and ensuring proper certificate revocation status. Security patches should enforce certificate validation at connection time and implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and establish proper security protocols for handling sensitive data transmission. The fix should align with industry best practices for mobile application security and comply with standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project for secure communication implementation.