CVE-2014-5650 in Traffic Jam Free
Summary
by MITRE
The Traffic Jam Free (aka com.jiuzhangtech.rushhour) application 1.7.7 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.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5650 affects the Traffic Jam Free Android application version 1.7.7, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's SSL certificate validation mechanism. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack surface that enables malicious actors to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against users of the application. When the application establishes secure connections to backend servers, it accepts any certificate presented without validating its authenticity, trust chain, or proper signing authority.
This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols. The flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security architecture, specifically in its implementation of secure communication practices. The application's failure to validate certificate chains means that attackers can generate and present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. This allows threat actors to intercept and potentially modify communications between the mobile application and its backend services, creating opportunities to capture sensitive user data, session tokens, or other confidential information transmitted over the network.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it undermines the entire trust model that secure mobile applications rely upon. Users of the Traffic Jam Free application face potential exposure of their personal information, location data, and any other sensitive details they might transmit through the app. The vulnerability is particularly concerning given that the application appears to be a traffic information service, which would likely collect and process user location data and potentially personal identifiers. Attackers could exploit this weakness to monitor user activities, track movements, or even manipulate traffic data presented to users, potentially causing confusion or safety risks.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1573.002, which covers "Modify SSL/TLS Traffic," and represents a classic example of how mobile applications can be compromised through improper implementation of security protocols. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise, as attackers only need to create a valid certificate that can bypass the application's validation checks. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be executed remotely without requiring physical access to the device or sophisticated attack infrastructure. Mitigation efforts should focus on implementing proper certificate pinning mechanisms, ensuring that the application validates certificate chains against trusted authorities, and potentially implementing certificate transparency checks to detect and prevent the use of fraudulent certificates in the communication process.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the critical importance of secure coding practices in mobile application development, particularly when handling sensitive user data. Organizations developing mobile applications must implement robust certificate validation mechanisms as part of their security development lifecycle. This includes establishing proper certificate trust models, implementing certificate pinning strategies, and regularly auditing security implementations to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced into mobile applications. The vulnerability serves as a reminder that even seemingly simple applications can pose significant security risks when proper security controls are not implemented during the development process.