CVE-2014-7125 in Motor
Summary
by MITRE
The Motor (aka com.magzter.motorhwpublishing) 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 • 10/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7125 affects the Motor application version 3.0 for Android platforms, specifically targeting the application's handling of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's implementation of Transport Layer Security which is fundamental to protecting data integrity and authentication in mobile applications. The vulnerability resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the entire purpose of secure communication channels.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate verification mechanisms within the application's network communication stack. When the Motor application establishes connections to remote servers, it does not perform the essential validation steps required to ensure that the server's certificate is legitimate and issued by a trusted Certificate Authority. This omission allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear valid to the application. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation and certificate trust verification issues in security protocols. Without proper certificate validation, the application cannot distinguish between legitimate servers and malicious actors attempting to intercept communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass comprehensive system compromise and user data exposure. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept sensitive information transmitted through the application, including user credentials, personal data, and potentially confidential business information. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected application version, creating a widespread security risk that persists until the underlying code is patched. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where applications often handle sensitive personal and financial data, making the attack surface more valuable to threat actors.
From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041 which describes data compression and encryption techniques used to exfiltrate data. The weakness enables attackers to establish persistent interception points without detection, allowing for long-term surveillance of user activities and data collection. Mitigation strategies must include implementing proper certificate pinning mechanisms, ensuring all SSL/TLS connections validate certificates against trusted CAs, and deploying certificate verification libraries that comply with industry standards. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate certificate manipulation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to established security frameworks such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, which emphasizes the need for proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications.