CVE-2014-5849 in Maleficent Free Fall
Summary
by MITRE
The Maleficent Free Fall (aka com.disney.maleficent_goo) application 1.2.0 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-2014-5849 resides within the Maleficent Free Fall Android application version 1.2.0, specifically manifesting in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS communications. This critical security flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's cryptographic security implementation, creating an exploitable condition that directly violates established security protocols for secure communications. The issue stems from the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation, certificate signature verification, and hostname matching procedures that are essential components of secure SSL/TLS connections. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of improper certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 within the CWE database, specifically addressing the weakness of certificate validation failures in secure communication implementations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables man-in-the-middle attackers to conduct sophisticated attacks against the application's communication channels by presenting fraudulent SSL certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. When the application encounters a crafted certificate, it fails to verify the certificate's authenticity through proper certificate authority validation, cryptographic signature checks, or hostname verification processes that are standard requirements for secure SSL/TLS implementations. Attackers can leverage this weakness to intercept and manipulate data transmitted between the application and its remote servers, potentially gaining access to sensitive user information, authentication credentials, or proprietary data that the application handles during normal operations. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic protection that SSL/TLS is designed to provide, leaving communications vulnerable to eavesdropping and data manipulation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of all communications originating from the application. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for user authentication, data synchronization, or content delivery become particularly vulnerable when they fail to validate SSL certificates properly. This weakness enables attackers to establish fraudulent communication sessions that appear legitimate to the victim application, allowing for persistent data exfiltration, session hijacking, or credential theft operations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in mobile environments where applications often handle sensitive personal data, financial information, or corporate secrets, making the exposure of this flaw potentially catastrophic for user privacy and organizational security.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application's networking stack. The recommended approach involves implementing comprehensive certificate validation procedures including certificate chain building, signature verification using appropriate cryptographic algorithms, and hostname matching against the certificate's subject alternative names or common name fields. Organizations should ensure that certificate validation follows established security standards such as those defined in the NIST SP 800-57 and RFC 5280 specifications for X.509 certificate validation. Additionally, the application should implement certificate pinning strategies to further strengthen the security posture against certificate forgery attempts. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify and remediate similar cryptographic implementation flaws that may exist in other mobile applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566 (Phishing) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) as attackers can leverage the weakened security to establish persistent access points and conduct reconnaissance activities against the application's communication infrastructure.