CVE-2014-5596 in Homerun Battle 2
Summary
by MITRE
The Homerun Battle 2 (aka com.com2us.homerunbattle2.normal.freefull.google.global.android.common) application 1.2.2.0 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 • 08/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5596 affects the Homerun Battle 2 mobile application version 1.2.2.0 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector that compromises the integrity of encrypted communications between the mobile client and remote servers. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification mechanism that should ensure the authenticity of SSL servers, thereby undermining the fundamental security assurances that secure communication protocols are designed to provide.
The technical flaw manifests as a lack of proper certificate validation within the application's SSL implementation, allowing attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. This weakness enables adversaries to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive data transmitted between the mobile application and its backend services, including user credentials, personal information, financial data, or other confidential communications. The absence of certificate pinning or proper certificate chain validation means that the application accepts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its authenticity or trustworthiness, making it susceptible to various cryptographic attacks that exploit this fundamental security gap.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for users of the affected application, as it allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information that should remain protected through secure communication channels. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking, credential theft, or the injection of malicious content into the application's communication streams. Given that mobile applications often handle personal and financial data, the consequences of successful exploitation can be severe, potentially leading to identity theft, financial fraud, or other malicious activities that compromise user privacy and security. The vulnerability affects all users of the specific application version, regardless of their security awareness or device configurations, making it particularly dangerous in widespread deployments.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1041 for data compression and T1566 for credential access through man-in-the-middle attacks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating the application to a version that properly validates SSL certificates, implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, and monitoring for suspicious network activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, users should avoid using the vulnerable application until an updated version is available, and security teams should consider implementing network-based detection measures to identify potential exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. The remediation process requires developers to properly implement certificate validation routines that verify certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities and implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures.