CVE-2014-6828 in Gulf Credit Union
Summary
by MITRE
The Gulf Credit Union (aka Fi_Mobile.Gulf) application 1.1 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 • 09/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6828 represents a critical security flaw in the Gulf Credit Union mobile application version 1.1 for Android platforms. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates during secure communication with backend servers. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack surface that enables malicious actors to perform man-in-the-middle attacks without detection. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's implementation of secure socket layer communication protocols, which are fundamental to protecting sensitive financial data transmitted between mobile clients and server infrastructure.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's cryptographic implementation where X.509 certificate validation is completely bypassed during SSL handshakes. This means that when the mobile application establishes secure connections to Gulf Credit Union's servers, it accepts any certificate presented by the server regardless of its authenticity or trust chain. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-295 which defines improper certificate validation as a weakness in cryptographic implementations. Attackers can exploit this by deploying malicious certificates that appear to be from legitimate Gulf Credit Union servers, thereby deceiving the mobile application into believing it is communicating with the authentic service while actually routing traffic through attacker-controlled intermediaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for both the credit union and its customers. Mobile users conducting financial transactions through the affected application are exposed to potential data theft, including account credentials, personal identification information, and financial transaction details. The vulnerability enables attackers to intercept and modify sensitive communications in real-time, potentially leading to unauthorized fund transfers, identity theft, and comprehensive financial fraud. Given that this affects a mobile banking application, the attack vectors are particularly dangerous as they can be executed from anywhere with network access, making the threat landscape increasingly expansive and difficult to contain.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security architecture improvements. The primary fix involves implementing proper SSL certificate pinning mechanisms within the application, ensuring that only pre-approved certificates or certificate authorities are accepted for secure communications. Organizations should also implement certificate transparency measures and regularly audit their cryptographic implementations against industry standards. The remediation process should include comprehensive code reviews focusing on cryptographic libraries and secure communication protocols. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041 which describes data from network shared drives as a potential attack vector, emphasizing the importance of proper certificate validation in preventing unauthorized access to sensitive financial data. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous certificate behavior and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to mobile application security breaches.