CVE-2014-5597 in 9 Innings: 2014 Pro Baseball
Summary
by MITRE
The 9 Innings: 2014 Pro Baseball (aka com.com2us.nipb2013.normal.freefull.google.global.android.common) application 4.0.3 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 described in CVE-2014-5597 represents a critical security flaw in the 9 Innings: 2014 Pro Baseball Android application version 4.0.3. This issue stems from the application's improper implementation of SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity. The application fails to perform proper X.509 certificate verification, which is a fundamental security control designed to ensure that communications occur with legitimate servers rather than malicious intermediaries.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure in the SSL/TLS handshake process where the application accepts any certificate presented by a server without validating its authenticity through established trust chains. This weakness allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The certificate validation process typically involves checking certificate signatures, verifying the certificate authority, confirming certificate expiration dates, and ensuring the certificate matches the intended server hostname. When these validations are bypassed, attackers can intercept and modify communications between the application and its backend servers without detection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass potential full system compromise and user data theft. Attackers can exploit this weakness to capture sensitive user information including login credentials, personal data, payment information, and other confidential communications between the mobile application and its servers. The vulnerability affects the application's ability to maintain secure communications, potentially enabling attackers to inject malicious content, redirect users to fraudulent websites, or establish persistent backdoors for further exploitation. This type of vulnerability directly violates security best practices and compromises the confidentiality and integrity of data in transit.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel." The lack of certificate verification creates a pathway for attackers to establish unauthorized communication channels and exfiltrate data. Organizations should implement proper certificate pinning mechanisms, ensure all SSL/TLS connections validate certificates against trusted authorities, and deploy network monitoring to detect unusual certificate validation patterns. The recommended mitigation includes updating the application to properly implement certificate validation, implementing certificate pinning for critical communications, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar validation flaws in mobile applications. Additionally, developers should adhere to secure coding practices that enforce proper SSL/TLS implementation and regularly update their applications to address known security vulnerabilities.