CVE-2014-7449 in My NGEMC Account
Summary
by MITRE
The My NGEMC Account (aka com.ngemc.smartapps) application 1.153.0034 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 • 10/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7449 affects the My NGEMC Account Android application version 1.153.0034, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communication sessions, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish trust with legitimate servers, undermining the fundamental security assurances that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate verification process within the application's network communication stack, specifically within the SSL/TLS handshake implementation. When the application establishes connections to remote servers, it fails to perform proper certificate chain validation, hostname verification, or signature validation checks that are essential components of secure communication protocols. This omission allows attackers to present malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the application while actually being controlled by the attacker. The vulnerability is classified as a certificate verification bypass, which falls under CWE-295 - Improper Certificate Validation, and represents a direct violation of secure coding practices that require robust certificate validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables man-in-the-middle attacks that can result in complete data compromise. Attackers can intercept and modify communications between the application and legitimate servers, potentially gaining access to sensitive user information including personal data, account credentials, financial information, or other confidential details transmitted through the application. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates transparently to users who would have no indication that their communications are being intercepted or manipulated. This type of attack maps directly to ATT&CK technique T1041 - Exfiltration Over C2 Channel, where adversaries establish covert communication channels to extract sensitive data from compromised applications.
The security implications extend beyond simple data theft to include potential account takeover scenarios, identity fraud, and unauthorized transaction processing within the application's ecosystem. Users of the My NGEMC Account application face significant risk when conducting transactions or accessing sensitive information, as their communications can be silently intercepted and manipulated by malicious actors. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by threat actors with varying skill levels. Organizations should consider implementing network monitoring and anomaly detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts, while also ensuring that certificate pinning mechanisms are properly implemented to prevent such vulnerabilities from occurring in future versions of the application. The flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security architecture and highlights the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications.