CVE-2014-5793 in Bilgi Yarisi
Summary
by MITRE
The Bilgi Yarisi (aka net.mobilecraft.bilgiyarisi) application 1.8 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 • 09/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5793 affects the Bilgi Yarisi Android application version 1.8, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism. This weakness falls under the category of insufficient certificate verification, which is classified as CWE-295 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The application fails 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 integrity and confidentiality.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the application's omission of proper certificate chain validation and trust verification processes. When the application establishes SSL connections to remote servers, it does not perform essential checks such as certificate expiration validation, proper certificate authority verification, or hostname matching against the presented certificate. This absence of certificate validation allows attackers to intercept communications and present malicious certificates that the application will accept without question. The vulnerability specifically enables man-in-the-middle attacks where adversaries can position themselves between the user and legitimate servers, making the application susceptible to credential theft, data exfiltration, and session hijacking operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the security model that users expect from mobile applications. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain access to sensitive user information, including personal data, login credentials, and potentially financial information depending on the application's functionality. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of all communications between the mobile application and backend servers, creating persistent security risks for users who rely on the application for various services. This flaw particularly impacts applications handling sensitive user data where secure communication channels are essential for maintaining trust and protecting against unauthorized access.
Organizations and developers should implement comprehensive certificate pinning mechanisms to address this vulnerability, ensuring that applications only accept certificates from trusted authorities and specific certificate fingerprints. The remediation approach should include proper implementation of certificate validation routines that verify certificate chains, check expiration dates, and confirm hostname matches against certificates. Additionally, implementing certificate transparency measures and regular security audits of mobile applications can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure communication implementation in mobile applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041 for data encryption and T1566 for credential access through man-in-the-middle attacks. The security implications of this flaw highlight the necessity of adhering to mobile security best practices and following industry standards such as those outlined in NIST SP 800-53 for secure mobile application development.