CVE-2014-5873 in Sears
Summary
by MITRE
The Sears (aka com.sears.android) application 6.2.8 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-2014-5873 represents a critical security flaw in the Sears Android mobile application version 6.2.8, specifically targeting the application's SSL certificate verification mechanisms. This weakness falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is a well-documented security vulnerability that undermines the fundamental trust model of secure communications. The application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates from SSL servers creates a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity.
The technical implementation flaw in the Sears application demonstrates a complete breakdown in the certificate validation process that should normally occur during SSL/TLS handshakes. When an Android application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it should verify that the server's SSL certificate is properly signed by a trusted Certificate Authority and that the certificate matches the expected hostname. The absence of this verification process means that the application accepts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its legitimacy or trustworthiness. This behavior directly violates established security protocols and creates an environment where attackers can perform man-in-the-middle attacks with minimal effort.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to significant risks including credential theft, data interception, and financial fraud. Attackers can exploit this weakness by presenting malicious certificates to intercept communications between the mobile application and its backend servers. The implications extend beyond simple data theft to include potential account takeovers, payment information compromise, and unauthorized access to personal user data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects a retail application that likely handles sensitive customer information including personal details, payment card data, and authentication credentials. This weakness represents a failure in the application's security architecture that violates industry standards and best practices for mobile application security.
The attack vector for this vulnerability aligns with the MITM (Man-in-the-Middle) techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1046 category of Network Service Scanning and T1566 for Phishing. Security researchers categorize this flaw as a variant of CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and it also relates to CWE-310, "Cryptographic Issues." The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects a widely used retail application, potentially exposing thousands or millions of users to coordinated attacks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including certificate pinning, proper SSL validation, and network monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The remediation process requires developers to properly implement certificate verification mechanisms and ensure that all SSL/TLS connections are validated against trusted certificate authorities. This vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications and the potential consequences of neglecting fundamental security controls.