CVE-2014-7009 in My Account
Summary
by MITRE
The HKBN My Account (aka com.hkbn.myaccount) application @7F070015 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 • 09/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7009 resides within the HKBN My Account Android application, specifically manifesting in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS communications. This critical security flaw affects version 7F070015 of the mobile application and represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's cryptographic security implementation. The issue stems from the application's inability to perform certificate pinning or proper certificate validation, creating a dangerous attack surface that exposes users to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks.
This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and falls under the broader category of weak cryptographic implementations. The application's failure to verify SSL server certificates creates a pathway for attackers to establish fraudulent connections with the application's backend services. When an attacker successfully executes a man-in-the-middle attack through this vulnerability, they can present a crafted certificate that appears legitimate to the vulnerable application, thereby bypassing the security mechanisms designed to protect data transmission between the mobile client and the server infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive user information including personal identification data, account credentials, and potentially financial information. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it does not require the attacker to have physical access to the device or sophisticated technical skills beyond standard network reconnaissance and interception capabilities. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the entire communication channel, making it possible for attackers to not only read transmitted data but also modify it in transit, potentially leading to account takeover scenarios and unauthorized transactions.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1046 technique for network service scanning and T1566 for phishing attacks that exploit weak certificate validation. The attack surface created by this flaw makes the application particularly susceptible to automated exploitation attempts and can be leveraged by threat actors to conduct large-scale data harvesting operations. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple network sessions and its ability to remain undetected makes it a particularly dangerous security weakness that could be exploited for extended periods without detection.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability include implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms, including certificate pinning, and ensuring that the application performs thorough verification of SSL/TLS certificates against trusted certificate authorities. Organizations should also implement network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous certificate behavior and establish regular security audits to identify similar validation weaknesses in other mobile applications. The fix requires comprehensive cryptographic security reviews and adherence to industry standards such as NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and proper implementation of TLS protocols to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in future releases.