CVE-2014-5800 in Smart Nhibzbanking
Summary
by MITRE
The smart.nhibzbanking (aka nh.smart.nhibzbanking) application 2.1 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 • 09/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5800 affects the smart.nhibzbanking Android application version 2.1, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile banking client's cryptographic implementation. This weakness resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that compromises the integrity of secure communications between the mobile client and banking servers. The issue directly impacts the fundamental security model of the application, as it undermines the trust mechanism that should protect sensitive financial data from interception and manipulation.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate validation step within the application's SSL handshake process, specifically failing to perform proper certificate chain validation and hostname verification. This allows attackers to execute man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that the application accepts without proper scrutiny. The vulnerability stems from inadequate implementation of SSL/TLS security protocols, where the application relies on default or minimal certificate validation rather than enforcing strict certificate verification procedures. This type of flaw falls under CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a critical failure in the application's security architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for both end users and financial institutions. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept and manipulate sensitive banking transactions, access confidential account information, and potentially redirect funds to malicious accounts. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of banking services, as users cannot trust that their communications with the banking server remain secure and untampered. Mobile banking applications are particularly vulnerable to such attacks due to the inherent risks of mobile device compromise and the sensitive nature of financial data transmitted over potentially insecure networks. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers phishing and credential harvesting through man-in-the-middle attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation within the application. Developers must ensure that all X.509 certificates undergo rigorous validation including chain of trust verification, hostname matching, and certificate expiration checks. The application should implement certificate pinning mechanisms to prevent acceptance of fraudulent certificates, and all SSL/TLS connections must enforce strict validation procedures rather than relying on default behaviors. Security updates should be deployed immediately to affected users, and the application should be reengineered to comply with industry standards such as those outlined in NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and TLS implementation. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that similar validation weaknesses do not exist in other security components of the mobile banking platform.