CVE-2014-5657 in CA Lottery Results
Summary
by MITRE
The CA Lottery Results (aka com.matcho0.calotto) application 2.1 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 CVE-2014-5657 vulnerability affects the CA Lottery Results Android application version 2.1, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This vulnerability falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications, creating a significant security gap that exposes users to potential man-in-the-middle attacks.
The technical flaw in this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper certificate pinning or validation procedures when establishing secure connections to remote servers. When an Android application communicates over HTTPS, it should verify that the server's SSL certificate is valid, properly signed by a trusted Certificate Authority, and matches the expected domain. However, the CA Lottery Results application bypasses these critical verification steps, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that the application accepts without question. This weakness enables attackers to intercept and manipulate communications between the mobile application and its backend servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial, as it creates multiple attack vectors for malicious actors. An attacker positioned within the network traffic path can intercept communications and present a malicious certificate that appears legitimate to the vulnerable application. This allows them to perform man-in-the-middle attacks where they can eavesdrop on sensitive data transmission, modify responses, or even redirect users to malicious websites. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects applications that likely handle user credentials, personal information, or lottery result data that users trust to be secure. The attack surface is expanded since the vulnerability exists in a mobile application that users frequently install and use, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to harvest sensitive information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5657 should focus on implementing proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques that verify server certificates against a known set of trusted certificates or public keys, rather than relying solely on the standard certificate chain validation. The application should enforce strict certificate validation that checks certificate expiration dates, verifies the certificate chain against trusted CAs, and ensures hostname matching. Additionally, implementing certificate transparency checks and using secure communication libraries that properly handle certificate validation can prevent this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level protections such as SSL inspection and monitoring for suspicious certificate usage patterns. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through man-in-the-middle attacks, highlighting the need for robust mobile application security practices.