CVE-2014-7053 in City Star ME
Summary
by MITRE
The City Star ME (aka com.citystarme) 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 • 09/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7053 affects the City Star ME mobile application version 1.0 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This vulnerability 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 issue falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is a well-documented weakness in mobile application security architectures and represents a direct violation of established security best practices.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation and trust verification when establishing secure connections with remote servers. This weakness allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged SSL certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The vulnerability specifically affects the certificate verification process where the application accepts any certificate presented by a server without validating its authenticity, issuer, expiration date, or cryptographic integrity. This failure directly contravenes the fundamental security principles of public key infrastructure and SSL/TLS protocol implementation, as outlined in industry standards such as NIST SP 800-57 and RFC 5280.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive user information and potentially manipulate application functionality. Mobile applications that fail to properly validate SSL certificates create an environment where attackers can establish fraudulent connections to legitimate services, redirect users to malicious endpoints, or simply eavesdrop on communications without detection. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where applications often handle personal data, financial transactions, or corporate information, making it a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit mobile application security weaknesses. The attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1573.002 for "Encrypted Channels" and represents a classic example of certificate pinning bypass or improper certificate validation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-7053 should focus on implementing robust certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS communication stack. Developers must ensure that all X.509 certificates are properly validated against trusted certificate authorities, with checks for certificate expiration, proper chain of trust, and cryptographic strength. The implementation should include certificate pinning where appropriate, proper revocation checking, and adherence to security standards such as those defined in CWE-295 for "Improper Certificate Validation." Additionally, the application should implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures and ensure that any connection attempts with untrusted certificates are immediately terminated. Security updates and patches should be deployed to address the vulnerability, with thorough testing to ensure that certificate validation mechanisms function correctly across different Android versions and device configurations. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring and intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts and maintain compliance with security frameworks such as ISO 27001 and NIST cybersecurity standards.