CVE-2014-7385 in Aperture Mobile Media
Summary
by MITRE
The Aperture Mobile Media (aka com.app_aperturemobilemedia.layout) application 1.404 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-2014-7385 affects the Aperture Mobile Media application version 1.404 for Android devices, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's handling of secure communications. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector that undermines the fundamental security principles of encrypted communications. The flaw represents a serious deviation from established security practices and exposes users to substantial risks when the application establishes connections to remote servers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the application's cryptographic handshake process where it bypasses the standard certificate verification mechanisms that are essential for establishing trust in secure communications. When an Android application establishes an SSL connection, it should validate the server's X.509 certificate against a trusted certificate authority to ensure the authenticity of the server. The Aperture Mobile Media application fails to perform this critical validation step, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This weakness specifically aligns with CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and represents a direct violation of the SSL/TLS protocol's security guarantees.
The operational impact of this vulnerability creates multiple attack scenarios that can result in severe data compromise and privacy violations. Man-in-the-middle attackers can exploit this flaw to intercept and manipulate communications between the application and its servers, potentially accessing sensitive user data, authentication credentials, or proprietary information. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it affects mobile applications where users may be conducting sensitive transactions or accessing confidential data while connected to potentially untrusted networks. Attackers can leverage this weakness to establish false server identities and redirect traffic through malicious intermediaries, making the attack transparent to end users who remain unaware of the compromised communications.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to several ATT&CK techniques including T1041 for Exfiltration Over C2 Channel and T1566 for Phishing with Social Engineering. The attack surface extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential credential theft, session hijacking, and data manipulation. Organizations using this application face significant risk exposure when users connect to networks where such attacks might occur, particularly in public Wi-Fi environments or corporate networks that may be compromised. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic protection that users expect from secure mobile applications, rendering the application's security model fundamentally flawed.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate application updates that implement proper certificate validation, including certificate pinning mechanisms to prevent the use of fraudulent certificates. Network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The application should be updated to enforce certificate chain validation and implement revocation checking to ensure that compromised certificates cannot be used. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of connecting to untrusted networks and the importance of keeping applications updated. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level security controls such as SSL inspection and deep packet inspection to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. The fix should align with industry best practices for mobile application security and incorporate the principles outlined in OWASP Mobile Security Project recommendations for secure communication implementation.