CVE-2014-7346 in Bespoke
Summary
by MITRE
The Bespoke (aka com.magzter.bespoke) 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 • 10/03/2024
The CVE-2014-7346 vulnerability affects the Bespoke Android application version 3.0, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's approach to certificate validation during SSL/TLS connections. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by transport layer security mechanisms. Such a weakness directly violates established security principles that require proper certificate chain validation to prevent unauthorized parties from establishing fraudulent secure connections.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's SSL certificate verification process where it accepts any certificate presented by a server without performing the necessary validation checks. This includes verifying certificate authenticity, checking certificate expiration dates, validating certificate authorities, and ensuring proper certificate chain integrity. The vulnerability creates a path for man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can intercept communications between the application and legitimate servers by presenting forged certificates that appear valid to the vulnerable application. This behavior aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and represents a classic example of weak SSL/TLS implementation that has been documented in numerous security assessments and penetration testing reports.
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 applications that handle personal data, financial information, or corporate secrets become particularly vulnerable when they fail to properly validate SSL certificates. Attackers can exploit this weakness to capture user credentials, personal information, financial transactions, or other confidential data that the application transmits over network connections. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of communications, potentially leading to identity theft, financial fraud, or corporate espionage. From an attack perspective, this weakness maps directly to ATT&CK technique T1046 which involves network service scanning and T1566 which covers credential harvesting through social engineering or network attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning mechanisms that validate certificate fingerprints against known good certificates rather than relying on trust in certificate authorities. The application must perform comprehensive certificate validation including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate authority signatures, and ensuring proper certificate chain validation. Additionally, implementing certificate revocation checking through CRL or OCSP validation would further strengthen the security posture. Security patches should enforce strict certificate validation policies and reject any connection attempts that fail certificate verification checks. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish proper incident response procedures for handling certificate-related security incidents. The fix should align with industry best practices outlined in OWASP Mobile Security Project recommendations for secure communication and should be tested thoroughly to ensure that legitimate connections remain functional while malicious certificate attempts are properly rejected.