CVE-2014-7387 in ACC Advocacy Action
Summary
by MITRE
The ACC Advocacy Action (aka com.acc.app.android.ui) application 2.0 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 • 10/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7387 resides within the ACC Advocacy Action Android application version 2.0, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This weakness falls under the broader category of insufficient certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise the integrity of data transmission.
The technical implementation flaw manifests when the application establishes secure connections to remote servers without performing proper certificate chain validation or hostname verification. This omission allows attackers to intercept communications through man-in-the-middle attacks where malicious actors can present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The vulnerability specifically targets the SSL/TLS handshake process, where the application should verify certificate authenticity through trusted certificate authorities but instead accepts any certificate presented by the server.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to substantial risk of data interception and manipulation. Attackers can exploit this weakness to eavesdrop on sensitive communications, potentially accessing personal information, financial data, or other confidential details transmitted through the application. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential identity theft, financial fraud, and corporate espionage scenarios where adversaries can establish persistent access to user accounts and sensitive systems. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041 for data encryption for impact and T1566 for credential access through social engineering.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly severe given that the application operates on mobile devices where users may be accessing sensitive information in public or unsecured network environments. The lack of certificate verification means that even when users believe they are communicating securely over HTTPS, their data remains vulnerable to interception and modification. Organizations using this application face increased risk of compliance violations under regulations such as gdpr, hipaa, and pci dss due to inadequate security controls. The vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture and requires immediate remediation through proper certificate validation implementation.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust certificate validation mechanisms including proper certificate chain validation, hostname verification, and the use of trusted certificate authorities. The application should be updated to include certificate pinning where appropriate, ensuring that only pre-approved certificates are accepted. Security teams should also implement network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and establish proper security awareness training for users about the risks of accessing applications over untrusted networks. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other mobile applications and ensure compliance with industry security standards.