CVE-2014-7021 in Leg Surgery - Kids Games
Summary
by MITRE
The Leg Surgery - Kids Games (aka com.harriskerioe.legsurgery) application 1.0.2 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 • 09/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7021 affects the Leg Surgery - Kids Games Android application version 1.0.2, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating an exploitable condition that fundamentally undermines the security of data transmission between the mobile application and remote servers. The absence of certificate verification creates a pathway for malicious actors to establish fraudulent connections and intercept sensitive user data.
This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses the improper certificate validation in secure communication implementations. The application's failure to perform certificate chain validation and hostname verification creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector that allows adversaries to present fraudulent certificates and establish trust with the mobile application. The security flaw operates at the transport layer of the application's communication stack, where SSL/TLS connections should enforce strict certificate validation policies. Attackers can exploit this weakness by intercepting network traffic and presenting custom-signed certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive surveillance and data exfiltration capabilities for threat actors. Mobile applications that fail to validate SSL certificates create persistent security risks for users who may unknowingly transmit personal information, login credentials, or other sensitive data through compromised communication channels. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security posture of the application, potentially exposing users to identity theft, financial fraud, and privacy violations. This weakness particularly impacts applications handling user-specific data or requiring secure communication with backend services.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application's network communication layer. Security measures should include enforcing certificate chain validation, implementing hostname verification, and configuring the application to reject self-signed certificates or certificates from untrusted Certificate Authorities. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate pinning techniques to strengthen the security of SSL/TLS connections. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1041, which addresses data compression and encryption methods, and T1566, which addresses credential harvesting through social engineering, as attackers can exploit the weak certificate validation to obtain user credentials and sensitive information through network interception attacks.