CVE-2014-5839 in Acces Compte
Summary
by MITRE
The Acces Compte (aka com.fullsix.android.labanquepostale.accountaccess) application 3.2.6 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 • 09/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5839 affects the Acces Compte Android application version 3.2.6, which is used by users to access their banking information. This application implements insecure SSL certificate verification mechanisms that create a significant security risk for users conducting financial transactions on mobile devices. The flaw represents a critical failure in the application's cryptographic security implementation, specifically within its SSL/TLS communication stack where it fails to properly validate server certificates.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper X.509 certificate validation during SSL handshakes. This weakness allows attackers to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The application accepts any certificate without verifying its authenticity through established certificate chains, root certificate authorities, or certificate validity periods. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295 which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" and represents a failure in the certificate validation process that should be enforced by the underlying SSL/TLS implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for users of the banking application, as it enables attackers to intercept and manipulate sensitive financial data transmitted between the mobile device and the bank's servers. An attacker could potentially steal user credentials, transaction details, account balances, and other confidential information by simply presenting a malicious certificate during SSL connections. This creates an environment where users believe they are communicating securely with their bank, while in reality their communications are being monitored and potentially altered by malicious actors. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in public Wi-Fi environments where such attacks are more easily executed.
Organizations and users should immediately implement mitigations including updating to a newer version of the application that properly validates SSL certificates, implementing network monitoring to detect unusual certificate behavior, and considering the use of additional security layers such as VPN connections when accessing banking services. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques related to credential access and initial access through network sniffing and man-in-the-middle attacks. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper certificate pinning implementation and highlights the critical need for mobile banking applications to enforce robust cryptographic security measures that prevent such fundamental flaws in SSL certificate validation.