CVE-2014-5765 in Paint-for-friends
Summary
by MITRE
The Paint for Friends (aka de.lotumlabs.buddypainting) application 1.5.1 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 • 08/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5765 affects the Paint for Friends Android application version 1.5.1, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This weakness resides in the application's inability to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity. The flaw fundamentally undermines the security model designed to establish trust between mobile applications and remote servers, particularly in environments where sensitive information exchange occurs.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to perform proper certificate chain validation and hostname verification during SSL handshakes. When the Paint for Friends application establishes secure connections to its backend servers, it does not validate the certificate authenticity through trusted certificate authorities or verify that the presented certificate matches the target server's domain name. This omission allows attackers to deploy malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the application, enabling them to intercept and manipulate communications without detection. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041 by facilitating man-in-the-middle attacks through certificate spoofing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it creates opportunities for comprehensive attack vectors that can compromise user privacy and system security. An attacker positioned in a man-in-the-middle position can not only capture sensitive information transmitted through the application but also inject malicious content, modify data in transit, and potentially escalate privileges within the application's security context. The vulnerability affects users who rely on the application for storing or transmitting personal information, creative works, or other sensitive data that may be exposed during SSL communications. Given the nature of the application's functionality as a painting and creative tools platform, users may inadvertently expose personal artistic creations or private communications that could be intercepted through this vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5765 require immediate attention from both developers and security administrators to address the certificate validation flaw. Application developers should implement proper SSL certificate pinning mechanisms that validate certificates against trusted authorities and maintain updated certificate trust stores. The implementation should include hostname verification checks to ensure that certificates match the expected server domains, preventing attackers from using spoofed certificates. Security administrators should conduct comprehensive network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and implement network-level protections such as SSL inspection with proper certificate validation. Additionally, users should be advised to avoid using the vulnerable application until patches are deployed, and organizations should consider network segmentation to limit exposure. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following security best practices for mobile application development, particularly regarding secure communication protocols, and emphasizes the need for regular security assessments to identify similar flaws in other applications.