CVE-2014-5974 in PSECU Mobile+
Summary
by MITRE
The PSECU Mobile+ (aka com.Vertifi.Mobile.P231381116) application 2.2 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 • 09/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5974 affects the PSECU Mobile+ Android application version 2.2, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile banking application's cryptographic implementation. This weakness resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a fundamental breach in the security infrastructure that protects sensitive financial data. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process that should occur during secure communications between the mobile client and backend servers, leaving users exposed to sophisticated attack vectors that compromise the integrity of their financial transactions.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate pinning or proper validation mechanisms within the application's SSL implementation. When the mobile application establishes secure connections to servers, it fails to verify the authenticity of the X.509 certificates presented by those servers, which directly violates established security protocols for secure communication. This absence of certificate validation creates a pathway for attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The vulnerability essentially disables the cryptographic security measures that should ensure the identity of the server and protect against eavesdropping, making it possible for malicious actors to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the mobile device and the financial institution's servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass comprehensive financial fraud capabilities. Attackers exploiting this weakness can impersonate legitimate banking servers and gain access to users' financial credentials, account information, transaction details, and other sensitive data. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of financial services by allowing unauthorized parties to manipulate communications and potentially execute fraudulent transactions. Given that this is a mobile banking application, the consequences are particularly severe as users may unknowingly transmit sensitive personal and financial information to compromised servers, with potential impacts ranging from unauthorized account access to complete financial account takeover scenarios.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-295, which addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for Phishing and T1071 for Application Layer Protocol usage. The lack of certificate verification constitutes a failure in the application's security architecture that violates fundamental principles of secure coding and mobile application security best practices. Organizations should implement certificate pinning mechanisms, proper certificate validation routines, and regular security assessments to prevent such vulnerabilities from occurring in mobile applications. The incident highlights the critical importance of cryptographic implementation review and the necessity of thorough security testing before deploying mobile banking applications to production environments, as these applications handle highly sensitive data and require robust security measures to protect user assets and maintain institutional trust.