CVE-2014-7135 in Ayuntamiento de Coana
Summary
by MITRE
The Ayuntamiento de Coana (aka com.wInfoCoa) application 0.2 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-2014-7135 affects the Ayuntamiento de Coana Android application version 0.2, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This vulnerability resides within the application's network security architecture and specifically targets the SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism that is fundamental to establishing trust between mobile applications and remote servers. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's security design, where proper certificate verification procedures are completely omitted or bypassed during the secure communication establishment process.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to perform X.509 certificate validation during SSL handshakes, which directly violates established security protocols for secure communications. According to CWE-295, this represents a weakness in certificate validation where the application accepts any certificate presented by a server without proper verification of the certificate authority or chain of trust. The vulnerability enables attackers to execute man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, effectively breaking the cryptographic protection mechanisms that should safeguard data transmission between the mobile device and remote servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it creates a pathway for attackers to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the application and its backend services. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for user authentication, data synchronization, or transaction processing become particularly vulnerable when they fail to validate server certificates. Attackers can exploit this weakness to capture user credentials, personal information, financial data, or any other sensitive content that the application transmits over network connections. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in contexts where the application handles confidential municipal data or user personal information, as it undermines the integrity and confidentiality guarantees that users expect from secure mobile applications.
This vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential access through social engineering, as the compromised application becomes a vector for data exfiltration and authentication bypass. The lack of certificate validation creates an attack surface that allows adversaries to establish false trust relationships with the application, potentially enabling them to manipulate application behavior or gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems. Organizations implementing such applications should consider the broader security implications of this flaw, particularly in environments where mobile applications interact with critical infrastructure or handle regulated data types that require compliance with security standards such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, or GDPR.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability involve implementing proper SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms within the application's network security layer. Developers should ensure that the application performs thorough certificate chain validation, checks certificate expiration dates, and verifies the certificate's intended use through proper certificate pinning techniques. The implementation should follow security best practices such as those outlined in OWASP Mobile Top 10 and NIST SP 800-52 guidelines for mobile application security. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar certificate validation weaknesses in other network communication components of the application.