CVE-2014-5995 in eWUS mobile
Summary
by MITRE
The eWUS mobile (aka pl.dreryk.ewustest) application 1.4.5 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-2014-5995 affects the eWUS mobile application version 1.4.5 for Android operating systems, representing a critical security flaw in the 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 compromises the integrity of secure communications between the mobile client and remote servers. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process that should establish trust relationships in secure socket layer communications, leaving users exposed to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can intercept and manipulate sensitive data exchanges.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL implementation, which directly maps to CWE-295 - Improper Certificate Validation. This weakness allows attackers to present maliciously crafted X.509 certificates that appear legitimate to the application, enabling them to establish fraudulent secure connections. The vulnerability operates at the transport layer security validation level, where the application should be performing certificate chain validation, hostname verification, and trust anchor checking but fails to execute any of these critical security checks. This absence of validation creates a scenario where the application accepts any certificate presented by a server without proper cryptographic verification, essentially disabling the security guarantees that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to conduct sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise user credentials, personal information, and sensitive communications. Mobile applications that rely on secure connections for authentication, financial transactions, or confidential data exchange become particularly vulnerable when they lack proper certificate validation. The attack vector leverages the fundamental trust model of public key infrastructure where users expect that when connecting to a secure server, they are indeed communicating with the intended entity. This vulnerability effectively undermines the entire SSL/TLS security framework by allowing attackers to spoof legitimate servers, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users trust the application to maintain secure communications. The consequences include potential data breaches, identity theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive user accounts or information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS stack, following industry best practices and standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and NIST guidelines for mobile application security. The application must be updated to perform comprehensive certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate signatures against trusted certificate authorities, and implementing hostname verification to ensure that certificates match the expected server names. Additionally, developers should consider implementing certificate pinning techniques to further strengthen the security posture against certificate-based attacks, as recommended in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for mobile application threats. The fix requires complete reimplementation of the SSL/TLS connection handling logic to ensure that all certificate validation checks are properly executed before establishing secure communications, thereby restoring the cryptographic security guarantees that users expect from secure mobile applications.