CVE-2014-5823 in The Cleaner - Speed up
Summary
by MITRE
The The Cleaner - Speed up & Clean (aka com.liquidum.thecleaner) application 1.4.2 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 identified as CVE-2014-5823 affects The Cleaner - Speed up & Clean application version 1.4.2 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors seeking to intercept or manipulate sensitive data transmitted between the mobile device and remote servers. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's ability to establish trust with legitimate servers, as it does not perform the necessary certificate verification steps that are fundamental to secure network communications.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's SSL/TLS implementation where it bypasses the standard certificate validation process that should occur when establishing secure connections. This weakness allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and falls under the broader category of weak cryptographic implementations in mobile applications. When the application fails to verify certificate chains, it essentially trusts any certificate presented, regardless of its authenticity or validity, creating an opening for attackers to establish fake secure connections and intercept or modify data in transit.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it can enable comprehensive data theft and manipulation across various types of sensitive information. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for user authentication, personal data handling, or financial transactions become particularly vulnerable to exploitation. Attackers can leverage this weakness to capture user credentials, personal information, financial data, or any other sensitive content transmitted through the application's network connections. The implications are especially severe for applications handling user privacy data or financial information, as the vulnerability essentially nullifies the security benefits of SSL/TLS encryption. This weakness can also facilitate more sophisticated attacks such as session hijacking, where attackers can impersonate legitimate services and gain unauthorized access to user accounts or data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS stack. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning, where the application explicitly trusts specific certificates or certificate authorities rather than relying on the default trust store. Additionally, developers should ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform complete certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate signatures, and ensuring proper hostname validation. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate transparency monitoring and regular security audits of their mobile applications to identify similar weaknesses. The remediation process should follow industry best practices outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and should include comprehensive testing of SSL/TLS implementations to ensure that all certificate validation checks are properly enforced, as specified in the NIST SP 800-52 guidelines for certificate management and secure communication protocols.