CVE-2014-6981 in Taiwan Business Bank
Summary
by MITRE
The Taiwan Business Bank (aka com.mitake.TBB) application 2.04 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 • 09/24/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-6981 represents a critical security flaw in the Taiwan Business Bank mobile banking application version 2.04 for Android devices. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant pathway for malicious actors to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks against unsuspecting users. The flaw specifically affects the certificate verification process that should normally ensure the authenticity and integrity of server identities in secure communications.
This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols. The application's implementation lacks proper certificate chain validation, certificate pinning mechanisms, and trust verification procedures that are essential for maintaining secure communications between mobile banking clients and financial servers. When an attacker can successfully spoof SSL servers using crafted certificates, they effectively bypass the fundamental security assurances that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide. The attack vector enables adversaries to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive financial data including account credentials, transaction details, and personal banking information transmitted through the vulnerable application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe for both end users and the financial institution. Mobile banking users face immediate risks of financial fraud, identity theft, and unauthorized transactions when their communications are intercepted and manipulated by attackers. The vulnerability undermines the core security model of mobile banking applications, which rely on strong cryptographic verification to protect sensitive financial data. From an attacker perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1041 which involves data compression and encryption to avoid detection, and T1566 which targets credential access through social engineering and network infiltration. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic protection that users expect when conducting banking transactions through mobile applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of proper certificate validation procedures including certificate pinning, certificate chain verification, and trust anchor validation. The application should be updated to enforce strict certificate validation routines that check certificate expiration dates, issuer authenticity, and certificate signature verification. Network security measures such as implementing certificate transparency monitoring and regular security audits should also be employed. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of conducting financial transactions on unsecured networks and the importance of keeping applications updated. The financial institution must also consider implementing additional security layers such as multi-factor authentication and real-time transaction monitoring to detect and prevent fraudulent activities that may result from this vulnerability.