CVE-2014-5900 in myHomework Student Planner
Summary
by MITRE
The myHomework Student Planner (aka com.myhomeowork) application 3.0.2 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-2014-5900 affects the myHomework Student Planner Android application version 3.0.2, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This weakness resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that exposes users to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification mechanism that should ensure the authenticity and integrity of server identities during encrypted communications, thereby undermining the fundamental security assurances that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate validation within the application's SSL implementation, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that the application will accept without proper scrutiny. This insecure practice enables malicious actors positioned between the user and legitimate servers to intercept, modify, or redirect communications, effectively breaking the cryptographic protection that should safeguard sensitive user data. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and represents a classic example of weak SSL/TLS implementation that has been frequently exploited in mobile applications. The flaw operates at the transport layer security validation point, where the application should be enforcing certificate chain validation, hostname verification, and trust anchor validation but instead accepts any certificate presented by an attacker.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it creates opportunities for comprehensive data breaches and identity theft. Attackers can exploit this weakness to capture login credentials, personal information, academic records, and other sensitive data that users might transmit through the application. The vulnerability affects not only the confidentiality of communications but also the integrity and authenticity of the application's backend services, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate data or redirect users to malicious servers. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access through network sniffing and man-in-the-middle attacks, specifically targeting the T1046 network service scanning and T1566 credential access through social engineering that leverages insecure network communications. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the application handles educational data, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise student information for financial gain or identity theft purposes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS stack. Developers must ensure that all X.509 certificates are validated against trusted certificate authorities, that hostname verification is properly enforced, and that certificate chains are fully validated. The application should implement certificate pinning where appropriate, though this approach requires careful consideration of certificate lifecycle management to avoid service disruption. Security patches should enforce strict certificate validation policies that align with industry standards such as those defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for mobile application security. Additionally, organizations should implement network monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior and establish secure communication protocols that prevent downgrade attacks. The remediation process must include comprehensive testing of certificate validation mechanisms and regular security audits to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other parts of the application's network communication stack.