CVE-2014-7065 in Nigerias Business Directory
Summary
by MITRE
The Nigerias Business Directory (aka com.wNigeriasBusinessDirectory) application 0.70.13414.17619 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 • 09/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7065 affects the Nigerias Business Directory Android application version 0.70.13414.17619, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector that undermines the fundamental security guarantees of encrypted communications. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process, which is a critical component of the Transport Layer Security protocol stack and forms the cornerstone of trust establishment between client and server in secure network communications.
The technical flaw manifests as a lack of proper certificate chain validation and trust verification mechanisms within the application's SSL implementation. When the application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it fails to validate the server certificates against trusted certificate authorities, instead accepting any certificate presented by the server regardless of its legitimacy or trustworthiness. This absence of certificate validation creates an environment where malicious actors can perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture that violates established best practices for secure communication implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to completely compromise the confidentiality and integrity of communications between the mobile application and its backend services. An attacker positioned between the user's device and the server can intercept, modify, or redirect traffic, potentially gaining access to sensitive user information, authentication credentials, or business data transmitted through the application. The vulnerability affects not only the application's own data but also any sensitive information that users might transmit or receive through the platform, including personal contact details, business information, or potentially financial data depending on the application's functionality. This weakness creates a persistent threat vector that remains active as long as the vulnerable version of the application remains in use, making it particularly dangerous for applications handling sensitive business or personal information.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS stack. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning techniques, where the application explicitly trusts specific certificate fingerprints or public keys rather than relying on the entire certificate chain validation process. Additionally, developers should ensure that the application validates certificate chains against trusted root certificates using established certificate authority databases and implements proper certificate expiration checking. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle activities and establish secure communication protocols that align with industry standards such as those specified in the NIST SP 800-52 guidelines for secure communication. The vulnerability underscores the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper cryptographic protocols as outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project recommendations for mobile application security.