CVE-2014-7360 in How To Boil Eggs
Summary
by MITRE
The How To Boil Eggs (aka com.appmakr.app842173) application 251333 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.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7360 affects the How To Boil Eggs Android application version 251333, representing a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This issue falls under the category of improper certificate validation, where the application fails to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure connections. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack vector that allows malicious actors to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against the application's network communications. According to the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) framework, this vulnerability corresponds to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," making it a well-documented and serious security concern in mobile application development. The vulnerability exists at the application layer where secure socket communication should be properly validated before establishing trust relationships with remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests when the Android application establishes SSL connections to remote servers without performing proper certificate chain validation or hostname verification. This means that the application accepts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its authenticity or trustworthiness. Attackers can exploit this weakness by intercepting network traffic and presenting a maliciously crafted certificate that appears to be from a legitimate server. The application's failure to verify certificate signatures, expiration dates, and issuer information creates an environment where sensitive user data can be intercepted and potentially modified during transmission. This vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to maintain confidentiality and integrity of communications between the mobile client and backend services, making it particularly dangerous for applications that handle user credentials, personal information, or financial data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the security model that users expect from secure mobile applications. Attackers can leverage this weakness to impersonate legitimate services, redirect users to malicious endpoints, or simply eavesdrop on sensitive communications without detection. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat that remains active as long as the application continues to operate without proper certificate validation. From an ATT&CK (Attack Tree) perspective, this weakness enables techniques such as T1041 (Exfiltration Over C2 Channel) and T1566 (Phishing) by providing a mechanism for attackers to establish trusted communication channels with compromised endpoints. The vulnerability affects not only the immediate data being transmitted but also potentially compromises user trust in the application and the broader ecosystem of services it interacts with.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate implementation flaw and broader security architecture considerations. The primary fix involves implementing proper SSL certificate validation using standard Android security libraries and ensuring that certificate chains are verified against trusted root certificates. Developers should utilize the built-in certificate pinning mechanisms available in modern Android SDK versions, which allow applications to specify which certificates or public keys are acceptable for particular domains. Additionally, implementing proper hostname verification ensures that certificates are only accepted for the intended server names. Security best practices recommend following the OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines for secure communication and implementing certificate pinning to prevent downgrade attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also ensuring that application updates are deployed promptly to address such vulnerabilities. The fix should be integrated into the application's security testing procedures to prevent similar issues in future releases and maintain compliance with industry standards for mobile application security.