CVE-2014-7465 in PC Advisor
Summary
by MITRE
The PC Advisor (aka com.triactivemedia.pcadvisor) application @7F08017A 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-2014-7465 affects the PC Advisor Android application version 7F08017A which fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections. This critical security flaw resides in the application's cryptographic implementation and represents a fundamental breakdown in secure communication protocols. The absence of proper certificate verification creates an exploitable condition that directly violates established security practices for mobile applications handling sensitive data. This vulnerability specifically impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, leaving users exposed to various forms of malicious interference and data interception attacks.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper certificate pinning or validation mechanisms during SSL handshakes. According to CWE-295, this represents a weakness in certificate validation where the application does not adequately verify the authenticity of SSL certificates presented by servers. The flaw allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. This occurs because the application accepts any certificate that can establish a connection without performing the necessary checks against trusted certificate authorities or certificate fingerprints. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic security guarantees that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide, making the application's communications susceptible to interception and manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete compromise of user privacy and security. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept sensitive information transmitted through the application, including personal data, login credentials, and potentially financial information. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, where adversaries use network sniffing and interception methods to capture communications between applications and servers. The implications are particularly severe for an application like PC Advisor which likely collects and processes user information related to device diagnostics and performance monitoring. The vulnerability creates a persistent security risk that affects all users of the affected application version, with no user intervention required to exploit the flaw. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates poor security hygiene in mobile application development and represents a failure to implement basic cryptographic security measures that are fundamental to secure mobile communications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Organizations should implement certificate pinning techniques that validate certificate fingerprints against pre-established trusted values rather than relying solely on certificate authority validation. The application should be updated to include proper SSL certificate validation routines that check certificate chains against trusted root certificates and verify certificate expiration dates. Security patches must be deployed to all affected versions of the application, and users should be notified to update immediately. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in OWASP Mobile Top 10 and NIST SP 800-53 guidelines for mobile application security. Additionally, implementing network monitoring and intrusion detection systems can help identify potential exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should be conducted to ensure proper implementation of cryptographic security measures in all mobile applications.