CVE-2014-5802 in PlayScape
Summary
by MITRE
The PlayScape (aka playscape.mominis.gameconsole.com) application 9.3.3 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 • 09/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5802 affects the PlayScape application version 9.3.3 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly verify 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 vulnerability specifically impacts the application's ability to establish trust with legitimate servers, leaving users exposed to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can intercept and manipulate sensitive information transmitted between the mobile device and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's improper implementation of certificate pinning and validation processes, which are fundamental components of secure communication protocols. When an Android application establishes an SSL connection, it should validate the server's X.509 certificate against a trusted certificate authority or implement certificate pinning to ensure the connection is established with the intended server. In the case of PlayScape version 9.3.3, the application bypasses these critical validation steps, allowing attackers to present maliciously crafted certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This failure directly violates industry standards and best practices for secure mobile application development, as outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and the Mobile Application Security Verification Standard. The vulnerability maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" and represents a well-documented weakness in cryptographic implementations that has been consistently exploited in mobile application attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to perform comprehensive man-in-the-middle operations that can compromise user credentials, personal information, and financial data. Mobile applications that fail to properly validate SSL certificates create opportunities for attackers to establish fraudulent connections with users, potentially redirecting them to malicious servers that can capture login credentials, session tokens, or other sensitive data. The attack vector is particularly concerning for applications handling user authentication or financial transactions, as the vulnerability allows for seamless impersonation of legitimate services without detection by the end-user. This weakness directly aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1071.004 sub-technique for Application Layer Protocol: DNS, where attackers manipulate network communications to intercept and modify data. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that mobile users often connect to unsecured public networks, increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5802 require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the PlayScape application. The most effective approach involves implementing certificate pinning, where the application explicitly defines which certificates or certificate authorities are trusted for specific servers, rather than relying on the default certificate validation process. Additionally, developers should implement certificate chain validation that verifies the complete certificate path from the server certificate to a trusted root certificate authority, ensuring that no intermediate certificates have been compromised or forged. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate revocation checking mechanisms to detect and reject certificates that have been compromised or revoked. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in the ISO/IEC 27034 standard for application security, particularly in the area of secure communication protocols. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications, while developers should maintain updated knowledge of the latest cryptographic security practices and threat landscapes to prevent similar issues from occurring in future versions of mobile applications.