CVE-2014-7076 in Sanctuary Asia
Summary
by MITRE
The Sanctuary Asia (aka com.magzter.sanctuaryasia) 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.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7076 affects the Sanctuary Asia mobile application version 3.0 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that compromises the integrity of data transmission between the mobile client and remote servers. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification mechanism that should ensure the authenticity of SSL servers before establishing encrypted connections.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate validation routine within the application's network communication stack, allowing attackers to exploit the trust relationship between the mobile client and web services. When the application attempts to establish an SSL connection, it fails to perform the necessary cryptographic verification of the server's X.509 certificate against trusted certificate authorities. This omission enables attackers to intercept communications through man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The flaw essentially removes the cryptographic assurance that data transmitted over SSL/TLS channels remains private and untampered with during transit.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates severe risks for users of the Sanctuary Asia application, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive information through various attack vectors. The compromised certificate verification process allows unauthorized parties to intercept and potentially modify data transmitted between the mobile device and application servers, including user credentials, personal information, and other confidential data. This vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles of secure communication and can lead to identity theft, data breaches, and unauthorized access to user accounts within the application ecosystem.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1041 for data encryption for exfiltration and T1566 for credential harvesting through man-in-the-middle attacks. Organizations and users should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the application, implementing network monitoring to detect suspicious certificate behavior, and considering the deployment of additional security layers such as network-wide certificate pinning or proxy-based security controls. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper certificate validation in mobile applications and serves as a reminder of the essential role cryptographic verification plays in maintaining secure communications within mobile ecosystems.