CVE-2014-5844 in Alsunna
Summary
by MITRE
The Alsunna (aka com.wAlsunna) application 0.1 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-2014-5844 resides within the Alsunna Android application version 0.1, specifically targeting the application's cryptographic security implementation. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's secure communication protocols, where the software fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant security gap that adversaries can exploit to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks against users of the application. This vulnerability directly impacts the fundamental security principles of authentication and data integrity that are essential for protecting sensitive information transmitted over network connections.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the application's failure to perform proper certificate chain validation and trust verification processes. When the Alsunna application establishes SSL connections with remote servers, it does not validate the server certificates against trusted certificate authorities or check for proper certificate signatures and expiration dates. This allows attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application, enabling them to intercept, modify, or steal data transmitted between the mobile device and target servers. The vulnerability specifically affects the SSL/TLS handshake process where certificate validation should occur but does not, creating an opening for cryptographic attacks that fall under the category of certificate validation failures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass complete compromise of user privacy and security. Attackers can exploit this weakness to access sensitive user information, including personal data, authentication credentials, and potentially financial information transmitted through the application. The vulnerability affects all users of the Alsunna application who engage in network communications, making it particularly dangerous given the widespread use of mobile applications for sensitive transactions. The man-in-the-middle attack vector allows adversaries to not only eavesdrop on communications but also to actively manipulate data in transit, potentially redirecting users to malicious sites or injecting harmful content into the application's communication channels.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS handling code. The application must be updated to perform comprehensive X.509 certificate verification including chain of trust validation, signature verification, and expiration date checks against established certificate authorities. Organizations should implement certificate pinning strategies where possible to further strengthen the security posture. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation and relates to ATT&CK technique T1573 which covers secure communication protocols. The remediation process should include thorough code review of all cryptographic implementations, implementation of proper error handling for certificate validation failures, and regular security testing to ensure the integrity of secure communication channels. Additionally, users should be advised to avoid using the vulnerable application until patches are deployed and to monitor for any suspicious network activity that might indicate exploitation attempts.