CVE-2014-5773 in RegisteredAssistant
Summary
by MITRE
The RegisteredAssistant (aka Icr.RegisteredAssistant) application 0.2.3 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 • 08/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5773 affects the RegisteredAssistant application version 0.2.3 on Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in certificate validation mechanisms. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack vector that enables malicious actors to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks against unsuspecting users. Such attacks occur when an attacker intercepts communication between a client application and a legitimate server, presenting a forged certificate that appears trustworthy to the vulnerable application. The flaw essentially undermines the fundamental security premise of SSL/TLS encryption, which relies on certificate verification to establish trust between parties in a communication channel.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic case of weak cryptographic implementation in mobile applications. The RegisteredAssistant application's failure to validate certificate chains, including checking certificate signatures, expiration dates, and issuing authority, leaves users exposed to various forms of cryptographic attacks. Attackers can exploit this weakness by generating and presenting fraudulent certificates that appear to be from legitimate services, thereby tricking the application into establishing secure connections with malicious servers. This vulnerability operates at the transport layer security level, where the application should be enforcing proper certificate validation before establishing trust in the communication channel. The impact is particularly severe because the application handles sensitive information, making it a prime target for data interception and exfiltration attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for users of the affected application, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive information through seemingly legitimate communication channels. The man-in-the-middle attack scenario allows adversaries to eavesdrop on conversations, capture authentication credentials, and potentially modify data in transit without detection. The vulnerability affects not only the confidentiality of communications but also the integrity and authenticity guarantees that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide. Users may unknowingly transmit personal data, financial information, or other sensitive content to servers controlled by attackers, believing they are communicating with legitimate services. This flaw essentially renders the application's security measures ineffective, as the certificate verification process that should protect against such attacks becomes entirely compromised.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from both application developers and security administrators. The primary solution involves implementing proper X.509 certificate validation within the application, including verification of certificate chains, expiration dates, and certificate signatures against trusted certificate authorities. Developers should leverage Android's built-in certificate validation mechanisms and avoid implementing custom certificate checking routines that may introduce additional vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and establish secure communication protocols that enforce certificate validation. The remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046, which covers Network Service Scanning, as attackers may attempt to identify vulnerable systems that lack proper certificate validation. Additionally, security professionals should ensure that the application follows industry best practices for secure coding and implement proper certificate pinning mechanisms to prevent the use of fraudulent certificates, even if they are technically valid. The vulnerability underscores the importance of adhering to security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, particularly regarding secure communication and proper certificate handling in mobile applications.