CVE-2014-5962 in Guess The Actor
Summary
by MITRE
The Guess The Actor (aka com.gamelikeinc.actors) application 1.1 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 • 09/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5962 resides within the Guess The Actor mobile application version 1.1 for the Android platform, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue manifests as a failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant weakness in the application's cryptographic security posture. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, fundamentally undermining the security guarantees that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
The technical flaw stems from the application's complete omission of certificate verification procedures during the SSL handshake process. When the application establishes connections to remote servers, it fails to perform the essential validation steps that would normally include checking certificate expiration dates, verifying the certificate authority chain, and ensuring that the certificate's subject matches the target server's domain name. This absence of verification creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where malicious actors can intercept communications by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The flaw operates at the transport layer security implementation level, specifically within the SSL/TLS client-side certificate validation logic.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables attackers to conduct sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks against users of the application. An attacker positioned between the user and the server can intercept and modify all communications, potentially gaining access to sensitive user information, authentication credentials, or personal data that the application processes. This vulnerability particularly affects applications that handle user authentication, personal information, or financial data, as the compromised communication channel provides attackers with direct access to potentially sensitive information. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1573.002 for "Encrypted Channel: Asymmetric Cryptography" where adversaries exploit weak cryptographic implementations.
The security implications extend beyond immediate data theft to encompass broader trust violations within the mobile application ecosystem. Users who trust the application to maintain secure communications may unknowingly expose themselves to surveillance or data manipulation by attackers who exploit this vulnerability. The flaw represents a fundamental failure in secure coding practices and demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms in mobile applications. Organizations deploying similar applications face potential regulatory compliance issues, as this vulnerability could violate data protection requirements under standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS, which mandate secure handling of sensitive information. Mitigation efforts should include immediate implementation of proper certificate validation, updating to versions that correctly implement SSL/TLS certificate verification, and potentially implementing certificate pinning techniques to further strengthen the application's security posture against such attacks.