CVE-2014-5892 in greenbill
Summary
by MITRE
The greenbill (aka com.show.greenbill_G) application 2.0.3 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-2014-5892 affects the greenbill application version 2.0.3 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism. This weakness resides in the application's inability to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure in the certificate pinning and validation process within the Android application's network security implementation. When the greenbill application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it does not perform proper certificate chain validation or trust verification against trusted certificate authorities. This absence of certificate verification allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged SSL certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The vulnerability specifically impacts the SSL/TLS handshake process where the application accepts any certificate without cryptographic verification of its authenticity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to completely compromise the integrity of communications between the mobile application and backend servers. An attacker positioned between the user's device and the target server can present a malicious certificate signed by a rogue certificate authority or a self-signed certificate that the application accepts without question. This allows the attacker to decrypt, modify, or redirect sensitive information being transmitted, including user credentials, personal data, financial information, or other confidential communications between the mobile application and its servers.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" and T1566, which covers "Phishing for Information." The weakness creates a persistent security risk that can be exploited across various network environments and affects all users of the vulnerable application version. The impact is particularly severe in contexts where the application handles sensitive personal or financial information, as the vulnerability provides attackers with complete access to data flows without detection.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers must implement certificate pinning techniques that validate certificate chains against trusted authorities, enforce certificate expiration checks, and implement proper certificate revocation verification processes. The application should utilize Android's built-in certificate validation APIs rather than relying on custom or insecure implementations. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that certificate validation mechanisms remain robust against evolving attack techniques. The most effective long-term solution involves updating the application to include proper certificate verification procedures and implementing additional security layers such as certificate transparency checks and secure key storage mechanisms to prevent unauthorized certificate installation.