CVE-2014-5806 in World of Tanks Assistant
Summary
by MITRE
The World of Tanks Assistant (aka ru.worldoftanks.mobile) application 1.7.5 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 • 09/02/2024
The CVE-2014-5806 vulnerability affects the World of Tanks Assistant mobile application version 1.7.5 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL certificate validation mechanism. This vulnerability falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers creates a significant attack surface that enables man-in-the-middle adversaries to exploit the communication channel between the mobile client and remote servers. The vulnerability specifically targets the SSL/TLS implementation within the application, where certificate validation is bypassed entirely, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that the application accepts without proper authentication checks.
The technical flaw manifests when the application establishes secure connections to remote servers using SSL/TLS protocols. Normally, SSL/TLS implementations require strict validation of server certificates against trusted certificate authorities to ensure the authenticity of the server. However, the World of Tanks Assistant application fails to perform this crucial validation step, effectively disabling the security mechanism designed to prevent unauthorized parties from impersonating legitimate servers. Attackers can exploit this weakness by intercepting network traffic and presenting a maliciously crafted certificate that appears to be from a trusted source, thereby gaining the ability to decrypt and potentially modify communications between the mobile application and its backend services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise sensitive user information. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for user authentication, game state synchronization, and transaction processing become particularly vulnerable when certificate validation is disabled. Attackers can leverage this weakness to obtain login credentials, personal information, game progress data, and potentially financial details if the application processes payments. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for mobile gaming applications where user data and in-game assets represent significant value to both players and malicious actors, creating an environment where the attack surface can be exploited for various malicious purposes.
Organizations and developers should implement robust certificate pinning mechanisms as a primary mitigation strategy to address this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1046 technique for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through social engineering, highlighting the importance of securing communication channels. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning where the application maintains a list of trusted certificate fingerprints and validates that the server presents one of these specific certificates rather than accepting any valid certificate from any trusted authority. Additionally, developers should ensure that all SSL/TLS connections enforce proper certificate validation, implement certificate revocation checking, and regularly update their security libraries to address known vulnerabilities. The implementation of these security controls aligns with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management, ensuring comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities in future implementations.