CVE-2014-6882 in Western Federal Credit Union
Summary
by MITRE
The Western Federal Credit Union (aka com.kerrata.pulse.western) application 2.1 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.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6882 affects the Western Federal Credit Union mobile application version 2.1 for Android devices, 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 adversaries can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity. The vulnerability specifically impacts the mobile banking application used by customers to access their financial accounts, making it particularly concerning from a cybersecurity perspective. The flaw allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that the application accepts without proper verification, thereby undermining the fundamental security guarantees provided by SSL/TLS protocols.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the application's improper implementation of certificate validation mechanisms within its SSL/TLS handshake process. When the Android application establishes a secure connection to the Western Federal Credit Union's servers, it fails to perform the essential certificate verification steps that should confirm the server's identity against trusted certificate authorities. This weakness directly violates the principles outlined in CWE-295, which addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of insecure cryptographic implementation. The application essentially trusts any certificate presented by the server without validating the certificate chain, checking expiration dates, or verifying the certificate's signature against known trusted authorities. This behavior creates a trust boundary violation where the application becomes susceptible to certificate spoofing attacks, allowing malicious actors to intercept and potentially manipulate communications between users and the legitimate servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass comprehensive financial fraud and identity compromise. Attackers leveraging this weakness can intercept sensitive user credentials, account information, transaction details, and personal financial data transmitted through the mobile application. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of all communications between the mobile device and the credit union's servers, potentially enabling unauthorized account access, fraudulent transactions, and comprehensive data exfiltration. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1046 category for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting. The compromised application becomes a vector for broader attacks against the financial institution's infrastructure, as attackers can use the stolen credentials to access backend systems and potentially escalate privileges within the organization's network.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the mobile application. Organizations should implement certificate pinning techniques to ensure that the application only accepts specific certificates or certificate authorities, preventing attackers from substituting fraudulent certificates. The application must be updated to perform comprehensive X.509 certificate validation including chain of trust verification, expiration date checks, and proper signature validation against trusted certificate authorities. Security patches should enforce strict certificate validation protocols that align with industry standards such as those defined in the NIST SP 800-57 cryptographic standards and the OWASP Mobile Security Project recommendations for secure mobile application development. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous certificate usage patterns and establish incident response procedures to address potential exploitation of this vulnerability. The remediation process should include comprehensive security testing of the updated application to ensure that all certificate validation mechanisms function correctly and that no regressions have been introduced during the patching process.