CVE-2014-7033 in Cure Viewer
Summary
by MITRE
The Cure Viewer (aka com.livedoor.android.cureviewer) application 1.03 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 CVE-2014-7033 vulnerability affects the Cure Viewer Android application version 1.03, representing a critical security flaw in certificate validation mechanisms. This vulnerability resides in the application's SSL/TLS implementation where it fails to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by remote servers during secure communications. The absence of proper certificate validation creates a significant attack surface that enables malicious actors to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against users of the application. This flaw directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of data transmitted between the mobile application and remote servers, potentially exposing sensitive user information to unauthorized parties.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper SSL certificate verification procedures during network communications. When an Android application establishes secure connections using SSL/TLS protocols, it should validate the server's X.509 certificate against trusted certificate authorities to ensure the authenticity of the server. In this case, the Cure Viewer application bypasses this crucial validation step, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This weakness falls under the category of improper certificate validation as classified by CWE-295, which specifically addresses the failure to properly validate certificates in SSL/TLS implementations. The vulnerability creates a trust relationship that can be easily exploited by attackers who possess the capability to intercept network traffic and present malicious certificates.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to significant risks including credential theft, data interception, and session hijacking attacks. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers and capture sensitive information transmitted through the application, such as user credentials, personal data, or business information. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to potential corporate security breaches, especially if the application handles confidential business data or serves enterprise users. The vulnerability affects the application's ability to maintain secure communications, undermining the fundamental security guarantees that users expect from mobile applications that process sensitive information. This flaw represents a critical failure in the application's security architecture and violates industry standards for secure mobile application development practices.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-7033 require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the Cure Viewer application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques to ensure that the application only accepts certificates from specific trusted authorities or specific certificate fingerprints. The application must enforce proper certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate signatures against trusted root certificates, and ensuring certificate subject names match the expected server names. Additionally, implementing certificate transparency checks and regular security audits can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions. Organizations using this application should consider immediate deployment of security patches or temporary workarounds while the vendor addresses the underlying implementation flaw. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which focuses on credential harvesting through man-in-the-middle attacks, highlighting the need for comprehensive network security controls and proper application security practices. The remediation efforts should also include implementing proper security testing procedures during development phases to identify and address similar certificate validation weaknesses before deployment.