CVE-2014-7463 in IM5 Fans Planet
Summary
by MITRE
The IM5 Fans Planet (aka uk.co.pixelkicks.im5) application 2.3.1 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 • 10/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7463 affects the IM5 Fans Planet Android application version 2.3.1, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's handling of secure communications. This issue falls under the category of improper certificate verification, which represents a fundamental weakness in the application's cryptographic security implementation. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation process, creating an avenue for malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the mobile application and remote servers. The flaw enables attackers to establish fraudulent connections with the application, undermining the core security assurances that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL handshakes. When an Android application establishes a secure connection to a remote server, it should verify that the server's certificate is valid, properly signed by a trusted certificate authority, and matches the expected hostname. However, the IM5 Fans Planet application bypasses these critical verification steps, allowing any certificate to be accepted regardless of its legitimacy or trustworthiness. This weak implementation creates a trust boundary failure that directly violates established security protocols and best practices for mobile application security. The vulnerability manifests as a complete absence of certificate pinning or proper certificate chain validation, leaving the application susceptible to various man-in-the-middle attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant and multifaceted, affecting both the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between the application and remote servers. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. This allows them to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive user information including personal data, login credentials, and any other information transmitted through the application's secure channels. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects an application that likely handles user-generated content and personal information, making it a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit user trust. This weakness undermines the fundamental security assumptions that users and developers rely upon when interacting with mobile applications over network connections.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a clear violation of the principle of certificate validation in secure communication protocols. The attack surface for this vulnerability is well-documented within the ATT&CK framework under the technique of credential access through man-in-the-middle attacks, where adversaries exploit weak certificate validation to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability also demonstrates characteristics of CWE-310, which covers cryptographic weaknesses, and reflects poor secure coding practices that should be avoided in mobile application development. Organizations should recognize this as a critical security gap that requires immediate remediation to protect user data and maintain the integrity of their applications.
The recommended mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include implementing proper SSL certificate validation within the application, utilizing certificate pinning mechanisms to ensure that only specific certificates or certificate authorities are trusted, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar weaknesses in the application's cryptographic implementation. Developers should also ensure that all network communications in mobile applications follow established security guidelines and that certificate validation is never bypassed for security reasons. Additionally, the application should be updated to include proper error handling for certificate validation failures, and organizations should consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The fix requires comprehensive code review and security testing to ensure that all secure communication channels properly validate certificates and maintain the integrity of the trust relationship between the application and its remote servers.