CVE-2014-6875 in Mobile Banking
Summary
by MITRE
The Woodforest Mobile Banking (aka com.woodforest) application 3.1 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 • 09/20/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6875 represents a critical security flaw in the Woodforest Mobile Banking application version 3.1 for Android platforms. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector that compromises the integrity of secure communications between mobile banking clients and server infrastructure. The flaw fundamentally undermines the cryptographic security measures designed to protect sensitive financial data transmitted over wireless networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests as a missing certificate verification mechanism within the application's SSL handshake process. When establishing secure connections to banking servers, the Woodforest mobile application fails to perform proper certificate chain validation, certificate expiration checks, or issuer verification. This omission allows malicious actors to intercept communications using forged SSL certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The attack typically involves setting up a malicious man-in-the-middle position where the attacker presents a crafted certificate that the application accepts without proper validation, thereby enabling unauthorized access to sensitive banking information.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to severe financial and personal data risks. Attackers can exploit this flaw to steal login credentials, account numbers, transaction details, and other confidential information transmitted through the vulnerable mobile banking application. The impact extends beyond individual financial loss to potential large-scale data breaches affecting thousands of users simultaneously. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates transparently to end users, who remain unaware that their communications are being intercepted and potentially manipulated by malicious actors.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1041 for Exfiltration Over C2 Channel, where the compromised application serves as an entry point for data theft. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including mandatory certificate pinning, enhanced SSL certificate validation mechanisms, and comprehensive security testing of mobile applications before deployment. Additionally, users should be advised to avoid using the vulnerable application until patches are available and organizations must conduct thorough security assessments of their mobile banking solutions to prevent similar vulnerabilities in their software development lifecycle processes.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile financial applications, where the absence of certificate verification creates a direct pathway for sophisticated cyber attacks targeting financial institutions and their customers.