CVE-2014-7335 in Liver Health - Hepatitis C
Summary
by MITRE
The Liver Health - Hepatitis C (aka gov.nyc.dohmh.HepC) application 2.0.0 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 • 10/02/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-7335 represents a critical security flaw in the Liver Health - Hepatitis C mobile application version 2.0.0 for Android devices. This application, developed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, was designed to provide health information and resources related to hepatitis C treatment and management. The flaw resides in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols, specifically its failure to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates during network transactions. This weakness creates a fundamental breach in the application's security architecture, undermining the confidentiality and integrity of data exchanged between the mobile client and remote servers.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from the application's improper handling of X.509 certificate validation during SSL connections. When an Android application establishes a secure connection to a remote server, it should verify the server's SSL certificate against a trusted certificate authority to ensure the connection is legitimate and not being intercepted by malicious actors. The affected application fails to perform this crucial verification step, allowing attackers to present fake certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This behavior directly violates established security practices and creates an attack surface that can be exploited through man-in-the-middle attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of insufficient cryptographic validation in mobile applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, particularly given the sensitive nature of health information handled by the application. Attackers capable of performing man-in-the-middle attacks could intercept and manipulate all data transmitted between the mobile device and the application's servers, including user personal information, medical records, treatment details, and potentially sensitive communication between patients and healthcare providers. This exposure creates significant risks for patient privacy and could lead to identity theft, medical fraud, or the dissemination of false health information that might influence treatment decisions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for a health application where data integrity and confidentiality are paramount, as it undermines the trust users place in the application to securely handle their sensitive medical information.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is well-documented and accessible to threat actors with moderate technical capabilities. An attacker positioned within the network path between the mobile device and the application servers could intercept traffic and present a malicious certificate that the application would accept as legitimate. This type of attack is often executed in public Wi-Fi networks, unsecured cellular connections, or through compromised network infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1573.001, "Tunneling," highlights how attackers can leverage such certificate validation failures to establish unauthorized communication channels. Organizations should note that this vulnerability represents a failure in the principle of least privilege and secure communication implementation, which are fundamental requirements in healthcare application security standards.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention and implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms. The application developers must implement robust certificate pinning techniques, ensuring that the application only accepts certificates from trusted certificate authorities and specific server identities. Network administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring and detection capabilities to identify anomalous network traffic patterns that might indicate man-in-the-middle attacks. The application should also be updated to include proper certificate validation routines that check certificate expiration dates, issuer authenticity, and certificate chain validation. Security patches should be deployed immediately, and users should be notified to update their applications to versions that properly implement secure communication protocols. This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of following mobile application security best practices and adhering to industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and NIST guidelines for secure mobile application development.