CVE-2014-7361 in Harry's Pub
Summary
by MITRE
The Harry s Pub (aka com.emunching.harryspub) application 1.0.0 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 • 10/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7361 affects the Harry s Pub Android application version 1.0.0, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communications. This issue resides within the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism, specifically failing to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during network communications. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack surface that enables malicious actors to exploit the application's trust model and compromise the integrity of data transmission between the mobile client and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure in the certificate pinning or validation process, where the application accepts any SSL certificate without proper cryptographic verification of the certificate authority or certificate chain. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles of secure communication protocols and creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector that allows adversaries to present fraudulent certificates to the application. The vulnerability stems from improper implementation of the SSL/TLS handshake process, where the application fails to validate the certificate against trusted root certificates or perform certificate chain validation. According to CWE-295, this represents a vulnerability in certificate validation, specifically a failure to validate certificates properly, which is classified as a critical weakness in cryptographic implementations. The flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which involves the use of man-in-the-middle attacks to intercept and manipulate network communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it allows attackers to obtain sensitive information through crafted certificates that could compromise user credentials, personal data, financial information, or other confidential details transmitted through the application. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for user authentication, data synchronization, or transaction processing become particularly vulnerable when they fail to validate SSL certificates properly. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data flowing through the application, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, data theft, or service disruption. This issue particularly impacts applications handling sensitive user information where the lack of certificate verification creates an environment where attackers can impersonate legitimate servers without detection. The vulnerability also violates industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, specifically addressing the improper certificate validation as a critical risk in mobile application security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-7361 require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning with proper validation of certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities, ensuring that only certificates from recognized and trusted sources are accepted. The application must perform comprehensive certificate validation including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate signatures, and ensuring the certificate chain is properly constructed. Security patches should enforce proper certificate verification routines and implement secure communication protocols that align with industry best practices for mobile application security. Additionally, the application should incorporate mechanisms to detect and reject self-signed certificates or certificates from untrusted authorities, while maintaining proper error handling for certificate validation failures. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be implemented to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future releases, ensuring compliance with established security frameworks and standards such as those defined by NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and validation.