CVE-2014-5996 in DEKRA Used Car Report
Summary
by MITRE
The DEKRA Used Car Report (aka com.dekra.maengelreport) application 3.0.0 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 CVE-2014-5996 vulnerability affects the DEKRA Used Car Report Android application version 3.0.0, exposing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in the application's cryptographic security implementation, specifically targeting the certificate validation process that is essential for establishing secure communication channels between mobile applications and remote servers. The flaw allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that the application accepts without proper verification, creating a dangerous security gap in the mobile application's defense infrastructure.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS handshakes, which directly violates established security protocols for secure communication. This weakness falls under the broader category of improper certificate validation as classified by CWE-295, specifically addressing the failure to validate certificates against trusted authorities. The vulnerability exists because the application implements a weak or non-existent certificate pinning mechanism, allowing any certificate to be accepted regardless of its authenticity or trust chain. This flaw operates at the transport layer security level, where proper certificate validation should ensure that the server presenting the certificate is legitimate and authorized to operate under the claimed domain.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it enables attackers to intercept and manipulate sensitive data transmitted between the mobile application and its backend services. Mobile users of the DEKRA application could have their personal information, vehicle data, and potentially financial details compromised during transmission. The vulnerability creates an attack surface that allows adversaries to establish fraudulent connections with the application's servers, potentially leading to data theft, session hijacking, or the injection of malicious content into the application's communication channels. This risk is particularly concerning given that the application handles sensitive automotive information that users trust to remain secure and private.
Organizations and security practitioners should address this vulnerability through immediate remediation efforts that include implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms, establishing certificate pinning strategies, and conducting comprehensive security testing of mobile applications. The mitigation approach should align with industry best practices for mobile security, incorporating secure coding standards and robust cryptographic implementations. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper SSL/TLS implementation in mobile applications and serves as a reminder of the potential consequences when applications fail to properly validate security certificates. The attack vector for this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under the T1046 and T1566 categories, which cover network service scanning and credential access through man-in-the-middle attacks. Organizations should also implement monitoring and detection capabilities to identify potential exploitation attempts and ensure that similar vulnerabilities are not present in other mobile applications within their ecosystem.