CVE-2014-5938 in All Deals ADA app
Summary
by MITRE
The AllDealsAsia All Deals ADA app (aka com.ada.deals) application 4.2.1 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 • 09/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5938 affects the AllDealsAsia All Deals ADA Android application version 4.2.1, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile application's cryptographic implementation. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process within the application's secure communication framework, leaving users exposed to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can intercept and manipulate sensitive information transmitted between the mobile client and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate chain validation and trust verification mechanisms within the application's SSL implementation. When the Android application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it fails to perform the essential cryptographic checks that should validate certificate authenticity, including checking certificate signatures, verifying certificate authorities, and ensuring proper certificate expiration dates. This omission directly violates fundamental security principles for secure communication and creates a pathway for attackers to present fraudulent certificates that the application will accept as legitimate. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" and represents a classic example of weak cryptographic implementation that undermines the entire security model of secure communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to establish complete control over the communication channel between the mobile application and backend services. An attacker positioned between the user's device and the server can present a malicious certificate that appears valid to the application, allowing them to decrypt, modify, or redirect sensitive user data including personal information, login credentials, payment details, and other confidential transactions. This capability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1041, which describes "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" and T1566, which covers "Phishing for Information", as the compromised application can facilitate both data theft and user deception through manipulated communications. The vulnerability essentially transforms the application from a secure communication channel into a potential data exfiltration vector.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address the core cryptographic implementation flaw through comprehensive certificate validation enforcement. Application developers should implement proper certificate pinning mechanisms that validate certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities and maintain explicit trust stores that verify certificate signatures and issuer authenticity. The solution requires replacing the vulnerable SSL/TLS implementation with a secure configuration that enforces certificate validation, including proper certificate chain building, signature verification, and expiration date checking. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as certificate transparency monitoring and regular security audits to ensure that the application maintains proper cryptographic hygiene. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of adhering to security standards such as NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and the OWASP Mobile Security Project's recommendations for secure communication in mobile applications, as proper implementation of these practices would have prevented the exploitation of this vulnerability.