CVE-2014-7028 in Ibis pau centre
Summary
by MITRE
The Ibis pau centre (aka com.myapphone.android.myappibispaucentre) 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-2014-7028 affects the Ibis pau centre Android application version 1.0, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue falls under the broader category of insufficient certificate verification within mobile applications, where the software fails to properly validate the authenticity of SSL/TLS certificates presented by remote servers. The application's failure to perform proper X.509 certificate verification creates a significant attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors seeking to intercept or manipulate communications between the mobile client and backend services.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to validate SSL certificates against trusted certificate authorities, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles of certificate-based authentication and enables man-in-the-middle attacks where adversaries can establish connections with the application using forged certificates. The vulnerability is classified as a weakness in certificate validation practices, aligning with CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols. The application essentially trusts any certificate presented without performing the necessary checks against known good certificate authorities or implementing proper certificate chain validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it compromises the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between the mobile application and its servers. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept sensitive information such as user credentials, personal data, financial information, or any other data that the application processes or stores. The vulnerability enables passive eavesdropping on communications while also allowing active manipulation of data in transit, potentially leading to account takeovers, data breaches, or unauthorized access to protected resources. This flaw undermines the entire security model of the application's communication layer and can result in significant financial and reputational damage to both users and organizations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing proper certificate pinning mechanisms, ensuring that the application validates certificates against trusted root authorities, and implementing certificate chain validation procedures. Organizations should enforce certificate verification using established security frameworks and avoid implementing custom certificate validation logic that may introduce additional weaknesses. The remediation approach should include implementing certificate pinning for critical endpoints, using established certificate validation libraries, and ensuring that the application performs proper certificate chain validation against trusted certificate authorities. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, which emphasizes the need for secure communication protocols and proper certificate handling in mobile applications. The fix requires comprehensive testing of certificate validation procedures and implementation of proper security controls to prevent the exploitation of such weaknesses in mobile application environments.