CVE-2014-5645 in CamScanner -Phone PDF Creator
Summary
by MITRE
The CamScanner -Phone PDF Creator (aka com.intsig.camscanner) application 3.4.0.20140624 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 • 08/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5645 affects the CamScanner -Phone PDF Creator application version 3.4.0.20140624 for Android devices, 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 exposure that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process within the application's network communication stack, where it fails to perform essential validation checks that should occur during secure socket layer establishment.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate pinning or validation mechanisms within the application's SSL implementation. When the CamScanner application establishes connections to remote servers for features such as cloud storage synchronization, document sharing, or data transmission, it does not verify the authenticity of the SSL certificates presented by these servers. This omission allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting maliciously crafted certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The flaw operates at the transport layer security validation level, specifically violating established security protocols that require certificate chain validation, hostname verification, and trust anchor checking.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risks for users of the affected application, particularly when they engage in sensitive activities such as document scanning, storage, or sharing. Attackers can intercept and modify communications between the mobile application and backend servers, potentially gaining access to scanned documents, personal information, authentication credentials, or other sensitive data. The vulnerability affects not only the confidentiality of user data but also compromises the integrity of communications, as malicious actors can inject or alter content during transmission. This risk is particularly concerning given that CamScanner is designed for document handling and likely processes sensitive business or personal documents that require protection.
The security implications extend beyond simple data interception, as this vulnerability aligns with several established threat patterns and attack methodologies documented in cybersecurity frameworks. This flaw corresponds to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a failure in the application's implementation of secure communication practices. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel," as attackers could leverage this weakness to exfiltrate sensitive information through compromised communication channels. Additionally, the vulnerability enables techniques described in T1566, "Phishing with Social Engineering," as attackers could use the compromised communication channels to deliver malicious payloads or steal authentication tokens.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from both application developers and end users. Application developers should implement proper SSL certificate validation by incorporating certificate pinning mechanisms, ensuring hostname verification, and establishing trust in legitimate certificate authorities. The fix should include implementing certificate chain validation, checking certificate expiration dates, and verifying certificate signatures against trusted root certificates. Network administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring and detection capabilities to identify suspicious network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Users should avoid using the vulnerable application for sensitive operations, update to patched versions when available, and consider using network security tools to monitor for unusual communication patterns. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of implementing proper security testing practices, including static code analysis, dynamic application security testing, and penetration testing to identify similar flaws in mobile applications before they can be exploited in the wild.