CVE-2014-5883 in 7-ELEVEN
Summary
by MITRE
The 7-ELEVEN (aka ecowork.seven) application 2.08.000 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 • 09/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5883 affects the 7-ELEVEN mobile application version 2.08.000 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's cryptographic implementation. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS communications, creating a significant attack surface that exposes users to sophisticated man-in-the-middle threats. The vulnerability specifically impacts the certificate verification process, which is fundamental to establishing secure communications between mobile applications and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation and trust verification, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This weakness directly violates established security protocols and standards, as the application fails to implement certificate pinning or proper certificate validation mechanisms that are essential for maintaining secure communication channels. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of weak cryptographic practices and inadequate certificate validation, which are commonly classified as CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation) in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates severe implications for both user privacy and corporate security. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept and manipulate sensitive data transmitted between the mobile application and backend servers, potentially compromising user credentials, personal information, financial data, and other confidential communications. The impact extends beyond individual user exposure to include potential corporate data breaches and regulatory compliance violations, particularly in environments where sensitive information handling is governed by standards such as pci dss or hipaa. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to the application's security posture and user trust.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5883 should focus on implementing robust certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Security enhancements must include proper certificate chain validation, implementation of certificate pinning techniques, and adherence to established security frameworks such as those recommended by the owasp mobile security project. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and establish secure communication protocols that align with industry best practices. The remediation process should involve comprehensive code review, security testing, and implementation of proper cryptographic libraries that enforce certificate validation standards. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other components of the mobile application ecosystem, as this type of flaw can potentially be exploited through various attack vectors defined in the mitre attack framework under techniques related to credential access and defense evasion.