CVE-2014-5744 in Re-Volt 2: Multiplayer
Summary
by MITRE
The RE-VOLT 2 : MULTIPLAYER (aka com.wegoi.revolt2multiplayer) application 1.1.4 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.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5744 affects the RE-VOLT 2 : MULTIPLAYER Android application version 1.1.4, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communications. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that undermines the integrity of network communications. The vulnerability falls under the category of weak certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, specifically addressing the improper validation of certificate chains.
The technical flaw manifests when the application establishes connections to remote servers using SSL/TLS protocols. Instead of performing proper certificate verification against trusted certificate authorities, the application accepts any certificate presented by the server, including those that are self-signed, expired, or issued by untrusted authorities. This weakness enables attackers to execute man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting a malicious certificate that appears legitimate to the vulnerable application. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it allows adversaries to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive data transmitted between the mobile application and its backend services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass comprehensive system compromise and data exfiltration. Mobile applications that rely on secure communications for user authentication, transaction processing, or sensitive data handling become vulnerable to attacks that can result in identity theft, financial fraud, or unauthorized access to user accounts. The vulnerability affects the application's ability to maintain confidentiality, integrity, and availability of communications, which directly violates fundamental security principles outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain access to user credentials, personal information, financial data, or other sensitive content that the application is designed to protect.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques to ensure that only specific certificates or certificate authorities are accepted, thereby preventing the acceptance of malicious certificates. The application must be updated to perform comprehensive certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate signatures against trusted authorities, and ensuring proper hostname verification. Additionally, implementing certificate transparency mechanisms and regular security audits of network communications can help detect and prevent similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider adopting security frameworks such as the OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines and following the ATT&CK framework's mobile security considerations to address such vulnerabilities systematically. The fix should be integrated through proper software development lifecycle practices that include security code reviews, penetration testing, and continuous monitoring of network communications to prevent future occurrences of similar certificate validation failures.