CVE-2014-7415 in Asylum!
Summary
by MITRE
The Asylum! (aka com.nobexinc.wls_96362255.rc) application 3.3.10 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 • 10/05/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-7415 represents a critical security flaw in the Asylum! Android application version 3.3.10, specifically targeting the application's handling of secure communications. This issue falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is a fundamental weakness in cryptographic security implementations. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during the secure communication establishment process, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise the integrity of network communications.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate verification mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS implementation. When the Asylum! application establishes connections to remote servers using SSL protocols, it does not perform the essential validation steps required to ensure that the server's certificate is legitimate and issued by a trusted certificate authority. This omission means that the application accepts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its authenticity or trustworthiness, effectively disabling the certificate pinning and trust validation components that are standard security practices in secure communications.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe risk for users of the application, particularly in environments where sensitive data transmission occurs. Attackers can leverage this weakness through man-in-the-middle attacks, where they intercept communications between the vulnerable application and its intended servers. By presenting a crafted certificate that appears to be from a legitimate server, attackers can establish fake secure connections and potentially intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted through the application. This vulnerability is particularly concerning for applications that handle personal data, financial information, or other confidential communications.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a clear violation of secure communication protocols that should be implemented in all applications handling sensitive data. This weakness directly enables techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel," and T1566, which covers "Phishing," as attackers can use the compromised communication channels to exfiltrate data or conduct social engineering campaigns. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic protection mechanisms that users expect when communicating over secure channels, leaving their data exposed to interception and manipulation by malicious actors.
Organizations and developers should implement comprehensive certificate validation mechanisms that include proper certificate chain verification, trust anchor validation, and hostname checking. The recommended mitigations include implementing proper certificate pinning strategies, ensuring that the application validates certificate signatures against trusted certificate authorities, and establishing robust certificate management procedures. Additionally, the application should be updated to include proper SSL/TLS certificate validation routines that verify certificate expiration dates, check certificate revocation status through CRL or OCSP, and ensure that the presented certificates match the expected server identities. This vulnerability serves as a stark reminder of the importance of proper cryptographic implementation and the critical need for robust certificate validation in mobile applications handling sensitive data.