CVE-2014-7041 in SimGene
Summary
by MITRE
The SimGene (aka com.japanbioinformatics.simgene) application 1.3 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 • 09/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7041 affects the SimGene mobile application version 1.3 for Android devices, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's handling of secure communications. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's cryptographic security implementation, which is fundamental to maintaining confidentiality and authenticity in network communications.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate verification during SSL handshakes, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that the application will accept without validation. This weakness directly violates established security protocols and best practices for secure mobile application development, as the application fails to implement certificate pinning or proper certificate chain validation mechanisms. The vulnerability operates at the transport layer security level, where the application should be enforcing certificate trust validation according to industry standards such as those defined in the TLS protocol specification and X.509 certificate validation requirements.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for users of the SimGene application, as it enables man-in-the-middle attacks that can intercept and potentially modify sensitive information transmitted between the mobile device and remote servers. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers, capture user credentials, access private data, or inject malicious content into the application's communication channels. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to potentially compromise research data and biological information that may be considered sensitive or proprietary within the bioinformatics domain where such applications are typically used.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1566 for credential access through man-in-the-middle attacks and T1041 for data encryption and secure communication bypass. This flaw represents a classic example of inadequate cryptographic implementation that violates CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols. Organizations and users should immediately address this vulnerability through application updates or by implementing network-level mitigations such as proxy configurations that enforce certificate validation, while the application developers work to implement proper SSL certificate verification mechanisms.
The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications, particularly those handling sensitive biological or research data. Mobile security frameworks and development practices should emphasize certificate validation as a fundamental security control, with applications implementing certificate pinning or at minimum proper certificate chain validation to prevent such attacks. This case highlights the necessity for comprehensive security testing and code review processes during mobile application development, particularly focusing on secure communication protocols and cryptographic implementation practices that align with established security standards and industry best practices.