CVE-2014-7419 in PokeCreator Lite
Summary
by MITRE
The PokeCreator Lite (aka com.pokecreator.builderlite) application 1.1 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 • 10/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7419 affects the PokeCreator Lite Android application version 1.1, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's security architecture that directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of data transmitted between the mobile client and remote servers. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by secure communication channels.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate verification within the application's SSL implementation. When the PokeCreator Lite application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it does not perform the necessary X.509 certificate validation steps that are standard practice in secure communication protocols. This includes checking certificate authenticity, verifying the certificate chain of trust, and ensuring that the server's identity matches the expected domain. The application essentially accepts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its legitimacy or trustworthiness, which creates a massive security gap that malicious actors can exploit.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks where adversaries can intercept communications between the vulnerable Android application and its intended servers. Attackers can present forged certificates to the application, making it believe they are communicating with legitimate servers while actually routing traffic through attacker-controlled intermediaries. This allows threat actors to eavesdrop on sensitive data exchanges, potentially capturing user credentials, personal information, or other confidential data that flows through the application's communication channels. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential account takeover scenarios and broader compromise of user privacy.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of inadequate secure communication implementation in mobile applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this weakness maps to techniques involving credential access through network sniffing and man-in-the-middle attacks, potentially enabling further lateral movement and privilege escalation within compromised environments. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor adherence to secure coding practices and mobile security best practices, particularly regarding network security and certificate handling in Android applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques to ensure that only specific, trusted certificates are accepted for communication with servers. Additionally, the application must be updated to perform comprehensive X.509 certificate validation including chain of trust verification, expiration date checks, and subject name validation. Regular security audits and code reviews should be implemented to prevent similar issues in future releases. Users should be advised to update to patched versions of the application as soon as available, and network administrators should monitor for suspicious traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process must also include proper security training for development teams to prevent recurrence of such fundamental security flaws in mobile application development practices.