CVE-2014-5615 in Snap Secure
Summary
by MITRE
The Snap Secure (aka com.exclaim.snapsecure.app) application 9.5 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 • 08/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5615 affects the Snap Secure application version 9.5 for Android operating systems, 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 surface that compromises the integrity of encrypted communications between the mobile device and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation and trust verification processes that are fundamental to establishing secure SSL connections. When an Android application establishes an HTTPS connection, it should validate the server's X.509 certificate against a trusted certificate authority to ensure the authenticity of the server. The Snap Secure application bypasses this crucial validation step, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041 where adversaries establish persistence through man-in-the-middle attacks that exploit weak cryptographic implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise sensitive user data and communications. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept and modify data transmitted between the mobile device and servers, potentially accessing personal information, financial data, or other confidential communications. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in contexts where the application handles sensitive information, as it undermines the entire security model that users expect from secure mobile applications. This flaw essentially renders the application's encryption meaningless, as attackers can establish fake secure connections that appear legitimate to the application's security mechanisms.
Organizations and users should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including updating to patched versions of the Snap Secure application when available, implementing network-level monitoring to detect suspicious certificate behavior, and deploying additional security controls such as network segmentation and traffic inspection tools. The remediation approach should also include educating users about the risks of connecting to untrusted networks and implementing certificate pinning mechanisms where possible. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader mobile security assessments and ensure that similar certificate validation flaws are not present in other applications within the organization's mobile ecosystem. The incident underscores the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications and serves as a reminder of the potential consequences when fundamental security practices are omitted during application development.