CVE-2014-7027 in Esercizi per le donne
Summary
by MITRE
The Esercizi per le donne (aka com.rareartifact.eserciziperledonne6D5578C6) 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-2014-7027 represents a critical security flaw in the Esercizi per le donne Android application version 1.0. This application, identified by the package name com.rareartifact.eserciziperledonne6D5578C6, demonstrates a fundamental failure in implementing proper SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms. The issue stems from the application's complete absence of X.509 certificate verification during secure communication with remote servers, creating a significant attack surface that exposes users to sophisticated man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure to implement certificate pinning or proper certificate chain validation, which are essential components of secure communication protocols. When an Android application establishes SSL connections to remote servers, it should validate the server's X.509 certificate against trusted Certificate Authorities to ensure the authenticity of the server. This application bypasses this critical security check entirely, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of weak cryptographic implementation that undermines the entire SSL/TLS security framework.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, particularly given the nature of the application's functionality. Users engaging with the Esercizi per le donne application may unknowingly transmit sensitive personal information, health-related data, or other confidential content to attacker-controlled servers. The vulnerability enables attackers to intercept and manipulate all network traffic between the application and its servers, potentially leading to data theft, identity theft, or unauthorized access to user accounts. This risk is particularly concerning for applications that handle personal health information or other sensitive data, as the MITM attack vector provides attackers with complete access to all transmitted information without detection.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple certificate validation failures and aligns with several tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1046 category for network service scanning and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. Attackers can leverage this weakness to create convincing fake servers that appear legitimate to the application, potentially leading to credential theft, session hijacking, or data exfiltration. The vulnerability also represents a failure in the application's secure coding practices and demonstrates a lack of adherence to industry security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project's M3 category for Insecure Data Storage and M5 category for Security Decisions via Untrusted Inputs.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques that validate server certificates against known good certificates or public keys, ensuring that only trusted certificates are accepted. The application must perform thorough certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate authorities, and implementing proper hostname verification. Additionally, the application should implement secure communication protocols that enforce certificate validation at all network endpoints, preventing the acceptance of self-signed or untrusted certificates. Security updates should be prioritized to address this vulnerability, and developers should consider implementing automated certificate validation testing as part of their continuous integration processes to prevent similar issues in future releases. The remediation efforts must align with industry best practices and security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management to ensure comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities.