CVE-2014-5896 in GlobalTalk- free phone calls
Summary
by MITRE
The GlobalTalk- free phone calls (aka com.seawolftech.globaltalk) application 2.1.4 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-2014-5896 affects the GlobalTalk free phone calls application version 2.1.4 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communications. This issue falls under the category of insufficient certificate verification within the application's SSL/TLS handling mechanisms, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure connections. This certificate verification bypass allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The absence of proper certificate chain validation, hostname checking, and signature verification creates a pathway for malicious actors to intercept and potentially modify communications between the mobile application and its backend servers. This weakness directly violates the fundamental principles of secure communication protocols and represents a failure in the application's security architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to gain access to sensitive user information including personal communication data, potentially financial information, and other confidential details transmitted through the application's secure channels. Mobile applications that rely on SSL/TLS for protecting user privacy become particularly vulnerable when they fail to implement proper certificate validation, as the attack surface expands to include all data transmitted over potentially compromised connections. This vulnerability particularly affects users of the GlobalTalk application who may unknowingly transmit sensitive information through a communication channel that can be easily compromised.
The security implications align with CWE-295, which addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should be implemented in all mobile applications handling sensitive data. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566, specifically the "Phishing" technique, as attackers can leverage the compromised communication channel to deliver malicious payloads or harvest credentials. Organizations should consider implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous certificate usage patterns and ensure that mobile applications perform proper certificate validation before establishing secure connections.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of the vulnerable application to implement proper X.509 certificate validation, including certificate chain verification, hostname matching, and signature validation. Mobile security teams should also implement network-level monitoring to detect potential certificate manipulation attempts and consider deploying certificate pinning mechanisms to prevent the use of unauthorized certificates. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of implementing robust certificate validation procedures in mobile applications and demonstrates how seemingly minor security oversights can create significant risks for end users and organizations relying on secure communication channels.