CVE-2014-5994 in Ding Ezetop. Top-up Any Phone
Summary
by MITRE
The ding* ezetop. Top-up Any Phone (aka com.ezetop.world) application 1.3.4 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 • 09/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5994 affects the ding* ezetop. Top-up Any Phone Android application version 1.3.4, representing a critical security flaw in the application's cryptographic implementation. This weakness 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 and system integrity. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's secure communication protocols, which are essential for protecting sensitive financial and personal information transmitted during mobile top-up transactions.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate validation mechanism within the application's SSL implementation, directly correlating to CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation. This deficiency allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The application's trust model is fundamentally compromised because it accepts any certificate without verifying the certificate chain, issuer authenticity, or cryptographic integrity. This weakness enables attackers to intercept and potentially modify communications between the mobile application and its backend servers, creating opportunities for data exfiltration and transaction manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the application handles sensitive financial transactions and personal user data. Attackers could exploit this weakness to intercept top-up requests, redirect payments to malicious accounts, or obtain user credentials and account information. The vulnerability particularly affects users who conduct mobile payments through the application, as the lack of certificate verification means that all transmitted data could be compromised. This creates a significant risk for both individual users and the application developers, as the compromised communication channel could lead to financial fraud, identity theft, and reputational damage. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no special privileges or advanced technical skills, making it accessible to a broad range of threat actors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address the core cryptographic implementation flaw by implementing proper certificate validation procedures. The application should enforce certificate chain validation, verify certificate signatures against trusted Certificate Authorities, and implement hostname verification to ensure certificates match the expected server names. Security measures should include updating the SSL/TLS implementation to comply with industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and NIST SP 800-52. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate pinning mechanisms to further strengthen the security posture. The remediation process requires comprehensive code review and testing to ensure that all SSL/TLS connections properly validate certificates before establishing secure communication channels. This vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications and the potential consequences of inadequate security controls in financial transaction processing systems.