CVE-2014-5904 in MiniInTheBox Online Shopping
Summary
by MITRE
The MiniInTheBox Online Shopping (aka com.miniinthebox.android) application 2.0.0 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-2014-5904 affects the MiniInTheBox Online Shopping Android application version 2.0.0, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL certificate verification mechanism. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communication sessions. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack vector that enables malicious actors to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against unsuspecting users. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's trust model, which should normally validate server certificates against trusted certificate authorities but instead accepts any certificate presented by the server.
The technical implementation flaw resides in the application's network security configuration where SSL certificate validation is either completely disabled or improperly implemented. This allows attackers to intercept communications between the mobile application and backend servers by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The attack typically involves the use of certificate authority certificates that are not trusted by the application's security framework, enabling the attacker to establish secure-looking connections while actually controlling the communication channel. This vulnerability directly violates security best practices outlined in industry standards such as CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications. The flaw also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which describes data obfuscation through man-in-the-middle attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass complete session hijacking and credential theft capabilities. Users conducting transactions through the vulnerable application may unknowingly provide sensitive information such as login credentials, personal identification details, and financial data to attackers who have successfully spoofed legitimate server endpoints. The vulnerability affects all users of the specific application version and creates persistent security risks that remain active until the application is updated or the user removes the vulnerable application from their device. Attackers can exploit this weakness to monitor and manipulate all communication between the application and its backend services, potentially leading to account takeovers, financial fraud, and identity theft.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-5904 require immediate application updates that implement proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms. The recommended approach involves configuring the application to validate certificate chains against trusted root certificates and implementing certificate pinning where appropriate to prevent the acceptance of unauthorized certificates. Security patches should enforce proper X.509 certificate validation procedures that check certificate signatures, expiration dates, and certificate authority trust relationships. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and establish secure communication protocols that align with industry standards such as those specified in NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management. Additionally, the application should be updated to use secure networking libraries that properly handle certificate validation and should be configured to reject self-signed certificates unless explicitly trusted by the application's security policy.