CVE-2014-7025 in Who-is-it?
Summary
by MITRE
The Who-is-it? Lite name caller time limited free (aka de.profiler.android.whoisit) application 1.0 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-2014-7025 affects the Who-is-it? Lite name caller application version 1.0 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates when establishing SSL connections to remote servers, creating a significant attack surface that compromises the integrity of network communications. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process that should occur during SSL/TLS handshakes, where the application fails to validate the authenticity and trustworthiness of server certificates presented during secure connections.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate pinning or validation mechanisms within the application's SSL implementation, allowing attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles of secure communication and represents a classic example of improper certificate validation as classified under CWE-295. The vulnerability exists at the application layer where SSL/TLS connections are established, and the lack of proper certificate verification creates a pathway for attackers to intercept and manipulate communications between the Android device and remote servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive information through crafted malicious certificates that can masquerade as legitimate servers. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for user data, authentication, or service integration become vulnerable to this attack vector, potentially exposing personal information, communication metadata, or other sensitive data that flows through the application's network connections. This weakness particularly affects applications that handle personal identification information, as demonstrated by the context of a name caller application that would likely process caller ID information and potentially user contact data. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041 by enabling data compression and encryption bypass through certificate manipulation, and represents a failure in the application's secure coding practices.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning where the application maintains a trusted list of certificate authorities or specific certificate fingerprints that must be validated during SSL connections. Additionally, developers should ensure that the application performs comprehensive certificate verification including checking certificate expiration dates, validating certificate chains, and ensuring proper hostname verification. The fix should be implemented in accordance with industry standards such as those defined in NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and TLS implementation guidelines. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level monitoring to detect potential certificate-based attacks and establish proper application security testing procedures that include SSL/TLS validation testing to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future releases.