CVE-2014-5673 in Easy Finder
Summary
by MITRE
The Easy Finder & Anti-Theft (aka com.nqmobile.easyfinder) application 2.0.10.08 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 • 08/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5673 affects the Easy Finder & Anti-Theft Android application version 2.0.10.08, representing a critical security flaw in the application's handling of secure communications. This issue falls under the category of insufficient certificate verification, which creates a significant attack surface for malicious actors seeking to compromise user data. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, effectively undermining the entire cryptographic security framework designed to protect sensitive information transmission between the mobile device and remote servers. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles that govern secure communication protocols in mobile applications and demonstrates a serious lapse in the application's security architecture.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation and trust verification processes that are essential for establishing secure connections. When an Android application establishes an SSL connection, it should validate the server's certificate against trusted Certificate Authority roots and verify that the certificate is valid for the target domain. In this case, the Easy Finder application bypasses these crucial validation steps, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. The vulnerability creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where malicious actors can intercept and modify communications between the application and its servers, potentially gaining access to user credentials, personal information, or other sensitive data that the application processes or stores. This flaw aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communication implementations, and represents a direct violation of security best practices outlined in mobile application security frameworks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of all communications within the application. Users of the Easy Finder & Anti-Theft application face significant risks including credential theft, identity fraud, and unauthorized access to their personal information stored or processed by the application. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to redirect traffic through malicious servers, inject malicious content, or simply eavesdrop on sensitive exchanges. The implications are particularly severe given that the application's name suggests it provides security services, creating a false sense of protection for users while simultaneously exposing them to additional security risks. This vulnerability also demonstrates poor security hygiene in mobile application development and represents a failure to implement proper security controls that would normally be expected in applications handling sensitive user data, potentially violating industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and NIST guidelines for mobile application security.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from both developers and users. Application developers must implement proper certificate validation mechanisms that verify certificate chains against trusted CAs, check certificate expiration dates, and ensure domain name matching. The fix should involve implementing certificate pinning where appropriate, using robust SSL/TLS libraries that properly handle certificate validation, and ensuring that all network communications undergo thorough security verification before establishing trust. Users should avoid using the affected application version until patches are available, and security administrators should monitor for any suspicious activity related to the application or its associated services. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks targeting vulnerable applications. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper security testing and code review processes in mobile application development, particularly when applications handle sensitive user information, and demonstrates how seemingly simple implementation errors can create significant security risks that persist across multiple user interactions and data exchanges.