CVE-2014-5975 in eponyms
Summary
by MITRE
The eponyms (aka com.anddeveloper.eponyms) application 3.2 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-2014-5975 affects the eponyms Android application version 3.2, specifically targeting the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's cryptographic implementation, where the software fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications. The absence of certificate verification creates an exploitable condition that fundamentally undermines the security model designed to protect user data and maintain secure connections between the mobile client and remote servers. This vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish trust relationships with legitimate servers while leaving users exposed to potential interception and data manipulation attacks.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate pinning or validation logic within the application's network communication stack. When the eponyms application establishes SSL connections to remote servers, it does not perform the standard certificate verification procedures that should confirm the server's identity against trusted certificate authorities. This allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. The vulnerability specifically targets the SSL/TLS handshake process where certificate validation should occur, but instead the application accepts any certificate presented without proper cryptographic verification. This weakness falls under the category of improper certificate validation as defined by CWE-295, which addresses failures in certificate validation mechanisms that can lead to security breaches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise user privacy and data integrity. Attackers can exploit this weakness to decrypt and modify communications between the Android application and its backend services, potentially gaining access to sensitive user information, authentication credentials, or private data exchanges. The vulnerability affects all users of the application who engage in secure communications, as the flaw exists in the application's core network security implementation rather than being dependent on specific network conditions or user actions. This makes it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by attackers without requiring user interaction or specific environmental conditions. The impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers data compression and encryption, and T1566, which addresses credential access through social engineering and network attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements within the application's architecture. The primary solution involves implementing proper SSL certificate validation that verifies certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities and validates certificate expiration dates and hostnames. Developers should implement certificate pinning mechanisms that explicitly define which certificates or certificate authorities the application trusts, preventing the acceptance of fraudulent certificates. The application should also incorporate proper error handling for certificate validation failures, ensuring that any certificate verification issues result in connection termination rather than proceeding with unverified communications. Security updates should include comprehensive testing of the SSL/TLS implementation against known attack vectors, including certificate spoofing and validation bypass attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for addressing certificate-related security events. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications and aligns with security best practices outlined in OWASP Mobile Top 10 and NIST guidelines for secure mobile application development.