CVE-2014-7455 in Zoella Unofficial
Summary
by MITRE
The Zoella Unofficial (aka com.automon.ay.zoella) application 1.4.0.5 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.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7455 affects the Zoella Unofficial Android application version 1.4.0.5, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification mechanism that should ensure secure communication channels between the mobile application and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate validation within the application's SSL implementation, which directly violates fundamental security principles for secure communications. According to CWE-295, this represents a vulnerability in certificate verification where the application fails to properly validate the authenticity and trustworthiness of SSL certificates presented by servers. The application essentially accepts any certificate presented by a server without performing the necessary checks against trusted certificate authorities or verifying certificate chains. This weakness enables attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it allows attackers to intercept and manipulate communications between the Android application and its backend services. An attacker positioned between the user's device and the server can present a malicious certificate that the application accepts without verification, enabling them to decrypt, modify, or redirect sensitive data transmitted through the application. This creates opportunities for credential theft, data exfiltration, and session hijacking, particularly concerning user personal information, login credentials, and any other sensitive data the application handles. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of all communications, making it particularly dangerous for applications handling user authentication or personal data.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which involves data compression and encryption to avoid detection while performing man-in-the-middle attacks. Attackers can leverage this weakness to establish persistent surveillance of user activities within the application, potentially capturing sensitive information such as user preferences, personal messages, or account details. The vulnerability also relates to T1566, which involves social engineering through malicious certificate manipulation, as attackers can craft convincing certificates that appear legitimate to the application. The lack of certificate verification creates a false sense of security for users who may unknowingly transmit sensitive information through compromised communication channels.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques that verify server certificates against known good certificates or public keys, ensuring that only trusted certificates are accepted. The application must perform comprehensive certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate authority signatures, and ensuring certificates match the expected server names. Additionally, implementing certificate transparency checks and maintaining an up-to-date certificate store will help prevent the acceptance of malicious certificates. Security audits should regularly test certificate validation implementations to ensure they remain effective against evolving attack techniques, and developers should follow secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP mobile security project guidelines for proper SSL/TLS implementation in mobile applications.