CVE-2014-5910 in Dog Whistle
Summary
by MITRE
The Dog Whistle (aka com.dogwhistle.dogtrainingandroidapp) application 1.9 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 • 09/06/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-5910 represents a critical security flaw in the Dog Whistle Android application version 1.9, specifically targeting the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This weakness falls under the category of insufficient certificate validation, a common yet severe issue in mobile applications that handle sensitive data transmission. The application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates from SSL servers creates a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks against users of the application.
The technical implementation flaw in this vulnerability stems from the application's improper handling of SSL certificate validation during network communication. When an Android application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it should validate the server's X.509 certificate against trusted Certificate Authorities to ensure the authenticity of the connection. However, the Dog Whistle application bypasses this crucial verification step, allowing attackers to present maliciously crafted certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This behavior directly violates security protocols established by the Transport Layer Security standard and exposes users to potential data interception and manipulation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risks for users of the application who may be transmitting sensitive information through the insecure connection. The man-in-the-middle attack vector enables adversaries to intercept communications between the application and its servers, potentially gaining access to personal data, user credentials, or other confidential information. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to potential corporate data breaches, especially if the application handles business-critical information or user account details. This vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture and represents a clear violation of security best practices for mobile application development.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" through insecure communications. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating the application to properly validate SSL certificates, implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, and conducting comprehensive security audits of mobile applications. Additionally, developers should follow secure coding practices that enforce proper certificate validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate chains, and implementing robust error handling for certificate validation failures. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of adhering to industry standards such as the OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines for secure mobile application development, particularly those addressing network security and data protection requirements.