CVE-2014-7371 in Magic Balloonman Marty Boone
Summary
by MITRE
The Magic Balloonman Marty Boone (aka com.app_martyboone.layout) application 1.400 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 • 10/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7371 affects the Magic Balloonman Marty Boone Android application version 1.400, specifically targeting the application's handling of secure communications through the Transport Layer Security protocol. This weakness represents a critical failure in the application's security architecture that fundamentally undermines the integrity of encrypted data transmission between the mobile device and remote servers. The application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates creates a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity.
This vulnerability stems from the application's improper implementation of certificate validation mechanisms within its SSL/TLS communication stack. The flaw allows the application to accept any certificate presented by a server without performing the required verification steps that should confirm the certificate's authenticity, validity, and proper issuance chain. According to CWE-295, this represents a weakness in certificate validation that directly enables man-in-the-middle attacks by failing to implement proper certificate pinning or trust verification procedures. The application essentially accepts any certificate without checking its signature, expiration date, or whether it was issued by a trusted certificate authority.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise user privacy and system security. Attackers can exploit this weakness to establish fraudulent server connections that appear legitimate to the victim's device, allowing them to capture sensitive information transmitted through the application. This includes but is not limited to user credentials, personal data, financial information, and any other sensitive content that the application may process or transmit. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users may be accessing the application over unsecured public networks, increasing the attack surface for network-based exploitation attempts.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which involves network service scanning and T1566 which covers credential harvesting through social engineering and network attacks. The application's failure to implement proper certificate validation creates an environment where attackers can leverage various attack methods including SSL stripping, certificate spoofing, and session hijacking. Organizations should consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous SSL certificate behavior and establish proper certificate pinning mechanisms within their mobile applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper cryptographic protocols that align with industry standards such as those outlined in NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and TLS implementation guidelines. Remediation efforts should include implementing proper certificate validation procedures, establishing certificate pinning mechanisms, and conducting thorough security testing to ensure that all network communications are properly secured against man-in-the-middle attacks.