CVE-2014-7101 in Talk Radio Europe
Summary
by MITRE
The Talk Radio Europe (aka com.nobexinc.wls_31251464.rc) application 3.3.10 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 • 09/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7101 affects the Talk Radio Europe Android application version 3.3.10, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue represents a critical failure in the application's cryptographic security measures, where the software fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure connections. The flaw creates a significant security gap that directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of data transmitted between the mobile application and remote servers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's lack of proper certificate validation mechanisms. When establishing SSL connections, the application should verify the authenticity of server certificates against trusted certificate authorities to ensure that communications occur with legitimate servers. However, this implementation flaw allows the application to accept any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its validity or trustworthiness. This behavior creates an environment where malicious actors can perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, thereby compromising the entire secure communication channel.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information transmitted through the application. Mobile users connecting to servers through the vulnerable Talk Radio Europe application become susceptible to various attack vectors including credential theft, session hijacking, and data manipulation. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security principles of authentication and data integrity, potentially allowing attackers to redirect users to malicious servers or to eavesdrop on communications that should remain private. This weakness undermines the trust model that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to establish between clients and servers.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should be implemented in mobile applications handling sensitive data. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this weakness maps to technique T1041, "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel," and T1566, "Phishing," as attackers can leverage the certificate validation bypass to establish malicious communication channels or to create convincing phishing scenarios. The vulnerability also relates to T1071.004, "Application Layer Protocol: DNS," if the application uses DNS resolution as part of its communication process, as attackers could manipulate DNS responses to redirect traffic to malicious servers.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application, ensuring that all SSL/TLS connections verify certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques where appropriate to prevent acceptance of forged certificates, and establish regular security audits to identify similar validation flaws. The application should be updated to enforce strict certificate validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate signatures, and ensuring certificates are issued by trusted authorities. Additionally, security-conscious development practices should be implemented throughout the application lifecycle to prevent similar issues from occurring in future versions, including mandatory code reviews focused on cryptographic implementations and adherence to mobile security best practices.