CVE-2014-5869 in CNNMoney Portfolio
Summary
by MITRE
The CNNMoney Portfolio (aka com.cnn.cnnmoney) application 1.03 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 • 09/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5869 affects the CNNMoney Portfolio Android application version 1.03, representing a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process, which is fundamental to establishing trust in secure communications between mobile applications and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate validation mechanism within the application's SSL implementation, allowing the application to accept any certificate presented by a server without proper cryptographic verification. This weakness enables man-in-the-middle attackers to intercept communications by presenting a maliciously crafted certificate that appears to be from a legitimate server. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and represents a failure to implement proper SSL/TLS certificate pinning or validation procedures that are essential for maintaining secure network connections.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial, as it allows attackers to conduct successful man-in-the-middle attacks against users of the CNNMoney Portfolio application. Attackers can intercept and modify sensitive financial data, personal information, and other confidential details transmitted through the application. This poses significant risks to users' financial security and privacy, particularly given that the application handles portfolio management data and potentially sensitive financial information. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic protection that SSL/TLS is designed to provide, leaving users exposed to various attack vectors including credential theft, data manipulation, and surveillance.
Organizations and developers should address this vulnerability through immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms, including certificate pinning techniques that ensure only trusted certificates are accepted. The recommended mitigations align with ATT&CK technique T1573.002, which focuses on securing communications channels through proper certificate validation and encryption. Security measures should include implementing certificate trust stores with proper validation procedures, enabling certificate pinning for critical connections, and conducting regular security assessments to ensure proper SSL/TLS implementation. Additionally, the application should be updated to include proper error handling for certificate validation failures, preventing the application from proceeding with unverified connections. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications, particularly those handling sensitive user data, and demonstrates the necessity of following established security frameworks and industry best practices for secure communications.