CVE-2014-5717 in Fashion Style
Summary
by MITRE
The Fashion Style (aka com.thirtysixyougames.google.starGirlSingapore) application 3.4.1 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 • 08/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5717 affects the Fashion Style mobile application version 3.4.1 for Android platforms, 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 attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's certificate verification mechanism, which is fundamental to establishing trust in secure communications between mobile clients and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the Android application. This weakness enables man-in-the-middle attacks where adversaries can intercept and modify communications between the mobile application and its backend services without detection. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and represents a failure to implement proper certificate pinning or validation procedures that are essential for maintaining secure network communications. The application's trust model is fundamentally compromised, as it accepts any certificate presented by a server without verifying its authenticity through established certificate authorities or cryptographic validation processes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to significant risks including credential theft, session hijacking, and data interception attacks. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers and gain access to sensitive user information, including personal data, login credentials, and potentially financial information if the application handles such data. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to potential corporate data breaches, especially if the application is used in enterprise environments or handles business-critical information. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security assurances that users expect from mobile applications and can lead to widespread compromise of user accounts and sensitive data across multiple platforms and services.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms including certificate pinning, where the application explicitly trusts specific certificates or certificate authorities rather than accepting any valid certificate. Organizations should also implement certificate transparency checks and regularly audit their mobile application security practices to ensure proper SSL/TLS implementation. The remediation process requires developers to update the application code to include proper certificate verification routines that align with industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and NIST guidelines for mobile application security. Additionally, implementing network security monitoring and alerting systems can help detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify and address similar vulnerabilities in the application's security architecture. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under network infiltration techniques, specifically targeting the credential access and defense evasion domains where attackers can leverage such weaknesses to maintain persistent access to compromised systems.