CVE-2014-7046 in George Wassouf
Summary
by MITRE
The George Wassouf (aka com.devkhr32.georgewassouf) 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 • 09/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7046 represents a critical security flaw in the George Wassouf Android application version 1.0 that compromises the integrity of SSL/TLS communications. This issue falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The application fails to properly implement X.509 certificate verification mechanisms, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors who can exploit this weakness to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks against unsuspecting users.
The technical implementation flaw resides in the application's inability to validate SSL certificates against trusted certificate authorities, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the Android application. This vulnerability specifically targets the SSL/TLS handshake process where the application should verify certificate chains, check certificate expiration dates, and validate domain names against the presented certificate. Without proper certificate validation, the application accepts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its authenticity or trustworthiness.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to severe security risks including data interception, credential theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Attackers can leverage this weakness to impersonate legitimate services and capture user data transmitted through the application, potentially compromising personal information, financial data, or corporate secrets. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates silently without alerting users to the compromised connection, making detection extremely difficult. This weakness directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, where adversaries use man-in-the-middle techniques to intercept and potentially alter communications between systems.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed through standard network interception tools, making it an attractive target for attackers. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to potentially compromise enterprise security if the application is used in business environments. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader mobile application security posture, particularly when implementing BYOD policies or mobile workforce solutions. The lack of certificate verification represents a fundamental failure in secure coding practices and demonstrates the critical importance of proper SSL/TLS implementation in mobile applications. Remediation efforts should focus on implementing proper certificate pinning, establishing trusted certificate authority validation, and incorporating industry-standard security libraries to ensure robust cryptographic communications.