CVE-2014-6645 in library
Summary
by MITRE
The Batch library 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 • 09/11/2024
The Batch library for Android represents a significant security vulnerability that fundamentally undermines the integrity of secure communications within mobile applications. This flaw resides in the library's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a critical weakness that adversaries can exploit to establish fraudulent server identities. The vulnerability specifically affects applications that utilize this library for batch processing operations, where secure data transmission is paramount for protecting sensitive user information and maintaining data confidentiality. This issue directly impacts the trust model that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to establish between clients and servers, effectively nullifying the cryptographic protections that users expect when connecting to secure services.
The technical implementation flaw within the Batch library demonstrates a complete absence of certificate validation mechanisms that should be standard practice in secure communication libraries. When applications rely on this library for SSL connections, they bypass essential certificate verification steps that include checking certificate authorities, validating certificate chains, and ensuring proper hostname matching. The vulnerability allows attackers to present maliciously crafted certificates that appear legitimate to the application, enabling them to intercept and manipulate data flows without detection. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-295 category of "Improper Certificate Validation" which specifically addresses weaknesses in the validation of X.509 certificates and related security parameters. The library's failure to implement proper certificate pinning or validation creates an attack surface that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1573.002 for "Encrypted Channel: Asymmetric Cryptography" where adversaries exploit weaknesses in cryptographic implementations to gain unauthorized access to communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass comprehensive system compromise and user privacy violations. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform man-in-the-middle attacks that allow them to eavesdrop on sensitive communications, modify data in transit, and potentially gain access to user credentials, personal information, and business-critical data. Applications using the Batch library become vulnerable to attacks targeting financial transactions, healthcare records, corporate communications, and personal identification information. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates at the network layer without requiring special privileges or user interaction, making it difficult to detect and prevent through traditional security measures. This vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of data flows, potentially violating regulatory compliance requirements such as those outlined in PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR standards.
Organizations and developers must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, beginning with the replacement or updating of the vulnerable Batch library with versions that properly implement certificate validation. The recommended approach includes implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, ensuring proper certificate authority validation, and maintaining up-to-date trust stores within applications. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of all applications that utilize the Batch library to identify potential exposure and implement network-level monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior. Additionally, developers should adopt secure coding practices that enforce certificate validation at all communication points, particularly for applications handling sensitive data. The mitigation strategy should incorporate regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other third-party libraries and dependencies, ensuring that the security posture remains robust against evolving threat landscapes. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and traffic monitoring solutions to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.