CVE-2014-7310 in Ali Visual
Summary
by MITRE
The Ali Visual (aka com.ali.visual) application 1.0 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-2014-7310 affects the Ali Visual application version 1.0 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue resides within the application's network security architecture where proper certificate validation mechanisms are absent, creating a significant exposure that undermines the fundamental security assurances typically provided by SSL/TLS connections.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of X.509 certificate verification within the application's SSL/TLS implementation. When the application establishes connections to remote servers, it fails to validate the server certificates against trusted certificate authorities or perform any form of certificate chain validation. This omission allows attackers to craft malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the application, enabling them to establish fraudulent connections without triggering any security warnings or alerts. The vulnerability directly violates established security practices for mobile application development and network communication security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it creates multiple attack vectors for man-in-the-middle adversaries. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept and manipulate sensitive data transmitted between the application and its servers, potentially accessing user credentials, personal information, financial data, or other confidential communications. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected application version, creating a widespread security risk that extends beyond individual user exposure to potential corporate data breaches or credential theft scenarios. This flaw essentially nullifies the encryption benefits that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
The security implications align with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a clear violation of the principle of certificate pinning and proper trust validation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability enables techniques categorized under T1041, "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel," and T1566, "Phishing," as attackers can leverage the compromised connection to exfiltrate data or establish further footholds. Organizations using this application face significant risk of data compromise and potential regulatory violations, particularly in environments subject to compliance requirements such as pci dss or hipaa.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application, including certificate pinning for critical endpoints, integration of trusted certificate authorities, and regular security auditing of network communication components. The application developers must implement robust SSL/TLS certificate validation routines that verify certificate chains, check certificate expiration dates, and ensure certificates are issued by trusted authorities. Additionally, the application should be updated to include proper error handling for certificate validation failures and implement appropriate security measures such as certificate transparency checking or certificate revocation list validation to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.