CVE-2014-5766 in Uber B2B
Summary
by MITRE
The Uber B2B (aka de.mobileeventguide.uberb2b) application 1.9 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-2014-5766 affects the Uber B2B Android application version 1.9, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile 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 vector that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by Transport Layer Security. The flaw essentially disables the certificate verification process that is essential for establishing trust between the mobile client and remote servers, leaving users exposed to sophisticated network-based attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of how mobile applications can compromise security through inadequate cryptographic implementation. When an application fails to verify SSL certificates, it creates a scenario where attackers can establish fraudulent connections to the application's backend services. This occurs because the application accepts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of whether it is properly signed by a trusted Certificate Authority or matches the expected hostname. The absence of proper certificate pinning or validation mechanisms means that even if an attacker cannot directly intercept traffic, they can still present a malicious certificate that the application will accept without question.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, particularly for a business-oriented application like Uber B2B that likely handles sensitive corporate data, user credentials, and transactional information. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can perform man-in-the-middle attacks to intercept and potentially modify communications between the mobile application and its servers. This capability allows threat actors to obtain sensitive information such as user authentication tokens, personal data, corporate communications, and potentially financial transaction details. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in public network environments where attackers have greater opportunities to position themselves between the mobile application and its intended servers. The attack surface is further expanded because the application's failure to validate certificates means that even if users are connecting to legitimate services, the connection could still be compromised if an attacker successfully intercepts and re-encrypts the traffic.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to several ATT&CK techniques including T1041, which covers Exfiltration Over C2 Channel, and T1566, which addresses Phishing with Social Engineering. The lack of certificate validation creates an environment where attackers can establish persistent connections to the application's servers while remaining undetected, potentially enabling long-term data exfiltration and credential theft. The vulnerability also aligns with T1071, which covers Application Layer Protocol, as the attackers can manipulate the application's communication protocols to their advantage. Organizations using this application face significant risk of data breaches and potential regulatory violations, particularly if the application handles personally identifiable information or corporate confidential data. The vulnerability's persistence and ease of exploitation make it an attractive target for both opportunistic attackers and more sophisticated threat groups targeting enterprise mobile applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate technical flaw and broader security posture of the mobile application ecosystem. The primary solution involves implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms, including certificate pinning, where the application maintains a list of trusted certificates or public keys and verifies that the server presents one of these trusted certificates. Additionally, organizations should implement certificate transparency checks and ensure that the application validates both the certificate chain and hostname matching to prevent certificate spoofing attacks. Security hardening measures should include regular security assessments of mobile applications, implementation of secure coding practices, and integration of certificate validation checks into the application's security architecture. The fix should also incorporate automated monitoring and alerting systems to detect potential certificate validation failures or suspicious connection patterns. Organizations should consider implementing network-level protections such as SSL inspection and monitoring tools that can detect and prevent man-in-the-middle attacks targeting the application's communication channels.