CVE-2014-7066 in LegalEra
Summary
by MITRE
The LegalEra (aka com.magzter.legalera) application 3.0 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 • 09/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7066 affects the LegalEra mobile application version 3.0 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This weakness resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 digital certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that undermines the fundamental security guarantees of encrypted communications. The vulnerability stems from improper certificate verification mechanisms that allow malicious actors to establish fraudulent secure connections without proper authentication. This flaw directly violates industry security standards and best practices for mobile application development, particularly concerning the protection of sensitive user data during network transmission.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient certificate validation, which can be categorized under CWE-295 as "Improper Certificate Validation." The application's SSL/TLS implementation fails to perform proper certificate chain validation, certificate hostname verification, or trust anchor validation that would normally occur during secure socket layer establishment. Attackers can exploit this weakness by presenting a maliciously crafted certificate that appears to be from a legitimate server, enabling them to intercept and manipulate communications between the mobile application and backend servers. This man-in-the-middle attack capability allows adversaries to obtain sensitive information including user credentials, personal data, financial information, and other confidential communications that should remain protected through secure channel establishment.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-7066 extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality assurances that users expect from secure mobile applications. Mobile applications that handle sensitive information such as legal documents, client data, or personal records become particularly vulnerable when such certificate verification failures occur. The attack vector leverages the established ATT&CK framework's T1041 technique for "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" and T1566 for "Phishing" through the creation of convincing fraudulent secure connections. Organizations using this application face potential regulatory compliance violations under standards such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR, as the vulnerability creates pathways for unauthorized data access and potential data breaches that could result in significant financial and reputational damage.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms within the application code. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning techniques, ensuring that the application validates certificate chains against trusted root certificates, and performing proper hostname verification during SSL handshake procedures. Security architects should implement certificate validation routines that align with industry standards such as those specified in NIST SP 800-52 and RFC 6125, which provide detailed guidance on proper certificate validation procedures. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous certificate behavior and establish regular security audits to verify proper certificate handling. The fix requires modifications to the application's network security configuration to ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform mandatory certificate validation before establishing secure communication channels, thereby preventing the man-in-the-middle attack scenarios that this vulnerability enables.