CVE-2014-7026 in LIFE TIME FITNESS
Summary
by MITRE
The LIFE TIME FITNESS (aka com.lifetimefitness.ltfmobile) application 1.9 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-2014-7026 resides within the LIFE TIME FITNESS mobile application version 1.9 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This weakness manifests in 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 integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, fundamentally undermining the security assurances that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
The technical flaw stems from the application's implementation of SSL certificate validation, where the mobile application accepts any certificate presented by a server without performing the necessary verification steps that should occur during the SSL handshake process. This includes checking certificate validity periods, verifying certificate authorities, and ensuring proper certificate chaining. When an attacker can intercept network traffic between the mobile application and its backend servers, they can present a maliciously crafted certificate that appears legitimate to the vulnerable application. The absence of certificate pinning or proper validation mechanisms means the application cannot distinguish between legitimate and malicious certificates, allowing for successful man-in-the-middle attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive user information including personal identification details, authentication credentials, and potentially financial data transmitted through the application's secure channels. Mobile applications that handle user accounts, personal health information, or payment processing are particularly at risk when such certificate validation failures occur. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of all data transmitted between the mobile application and backend servers, potentially exposing users to identity theft, financial fraud, and privacy violations. Attackers can leverage this weakness to redirect users to malicious servers while maintaining the appearance of legitimate communication, making detection difficult for end users.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a failure in implementing proper SSL/TLS security controls as recommended in industry best practices. The attack vector described in the CVE corresponds to techniques outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1046 category for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting. Organizations implementing mobile security measures should consider this vulnerability as part of their comprehensive risk assessment, particularly when evaluating applications that handle sensitive user data. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper secure coding practices and adherence to mobile security guidelines such as those provided by OWASP Mobile Security Project, which emphasize the critical need for proper certificate validation and secure communication implementation in mobile applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application code. Developers should implement certificate pinning to ensure that only specific certificates or certificate authorities are accepted for communication with backend services. The application should perform comprehensive certificate validation including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate authorities, and ensuring proper certificate chaining. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing certificate revocation checking mechanisms and regularly update their certificate validation logic to address emerging threats. Security audits should be conducted to ensure all network communications within the application properly validate SSL/TLS certificates and that no other similar validation failures exist within the application's codebase.