CVE-2014-5813 in lostword
Summary
by MITRE
The lostword (aka zozo.android.lostword) application 5.9 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 vulnerability described in CVE-2014-5813 represents a critical security flaw in the lostword Android application version 5.9, specifically targeting the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism. This weakness falls under the category of insufficient certificate verification, a fundamental security control that protects against man-in-the-middle attacks by ensuring that applications only trust certificates issued by legitimate authorities. The application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates creates a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to establish fraudulent communication channels with users.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the application's improper handling of SSL certificate validation during network communications. When the lostword application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it fails to perform adequate certificate chain verification, root certificate checking, or hostname validation. This vulnerability directly corresponds to CWE-295, which addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of how weak cryptographic practices can compromise entire application security models. The absence of proper certificate pinning or validation mechanisms allows attackers to present malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the application, enabling them to intercept and manipulate encrypted communications between the mobile device and targeted servers.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to severe security risks including data theft, session hijacking, and credential interception. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against the application's network communications, potentially gaining access to sensitive user information such as personal data, login credentials, or financial information. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to potential corporate data breaches if the application handles business-sensitive information. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which describes "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel," as attackers can leverage the compromised communication channel to exfiltrate data. The attack vector is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users may be accessing the application over unsecured public networks, increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability involve implementing robust certificate validation mechanisms within the application's network stack. Developers should incorporate proper certificate pinning techniques, ensuring that the application only trusts certificates issued by specific, known Certificate Authorities. The implementation should include hostname verification, certificate chain validation, and proper error handling for certificate validation failures. Additionally, the application should be updated to use secure TLS versions and cipher suites, while implementing certificate revocation checking mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and establish incident response procedures for certificate-related security events. This remediation approach addresses the core issue identified in CWE-295 while providing comprehensive protection against the attack vectors described in the ATT&CK framework, ensuring that future versions of the application maintain proper cryptographic security controls.