CVE-2014-5696 in Sonic 4 Episode II LITE
Summary
by MITRE
The Sonic 4 Episode II LITE (aka com.sega.sonic4ep2lite) application 2.3 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 • 08/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5696 affects the Sonic 4 Episode II LITE mobile application version 2.3 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates during network communications, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification mechanism within the application's networking stack, where it fails to perform proper X.509 certificate validation checks that are fundamental to establishing secure communications over the internet.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate validation step in the SSL/TLS handshake process, allowing the application to accept any certificate presented by a server without proper cryptographic verification. This weakness enables attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by intercepting communications between the mobile application and its backend servers. When an attacker successfully spoofs a legitimate server certificate, the application accepts the forged certificate as valid, thereby establishing a secure-looking connection that actually routes traffic through the attacker's system. This allows unauthorized parties to eavesdrop on communications, modify data in transit, or inject malicious content into the application's network interactions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it can lead to comprehensive compromise of user accounts, personal information theft, and potential financial fraud. Mobile applications that rely on secure communications for user authentication, transaction processing, or data synchronization become particularly vulnerable when they fail to implement proper certificate validation. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be executed without requiring special privileges or advanced technical skills, making it accessible to a wide range of threat actors. Users may unknowingly interact with compromised services while believing they are communicating securely with legitimate servers.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of improper certificate validation, which maps to CWE-295 "Improper Certificate Validation" in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The attack pattern aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the "Credential Access" and "Initial Access" domains, where adversaries establish persistent access through compromised communication channels. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper SSL/TLS certificate validation as outlined in industry best practices such as those specified in NIST SP 800-52 and RFC 6125. Organizations should immediately implement certificate pinning mechanisms, update affected applications to versions that properly validate certificates, and conduct thorough security assessments of all mobile applications that handle sensitive user data or perform secure communications. The remediation process should include implementing robust certificate validation routines that verify certificate chains, check expiration dates, and validate hostnames against certificate subject alternative names to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future deployments.