CVE-2014-7491 in Short Stories
Summary
by MITRE
The Short Stories (aka com.ireadercity.c48) application 3.0.2 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 • 10/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7491 affects the Short Stories application version 3.0.2 for Android platforms, 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 and system integrity. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, fundamentally undermining the security assurances that SSL/TLS encryption is designed to provide.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's certificate verification process where it fails to perform proper validation of X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers. This weakness allows attackers to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The absence of certificate pinning or proper validation mechanisms means that the application accepts any certificate that can be generated or intercepted, regardless of its authenticity or trustworthiness. This behavior violates fundamental security principles of certificate-based authentication and creates a pathway for attackers to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the application and its servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to establish persistent access to user information and potentially compromise user accounts. The vulnerability affects any communication channel that relies on SSL/TLS encryption within the application, including user authentication, data synchronization, and content delivery mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain access to user credentials, personal information, and potentially sensitive data that users expect to be protected through secure communication channels. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by the fact that it affects mobile applications where users often conduct sensitive activities such as account management, content consumption, and data sharing.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-295, which describes "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001, "Phishing via Social Engineering," as attackers can leverage the compromised communication channels to deliver malicious payloads or steal credentials. The lack of proper certificate validation creates a trust boundary that attackers can easily exploit, potentially leading to account takeover, data exfiltration, and further lateral movement within affected systems. Organizations and developers should implement certificate pinning, proper certificate validation, and regular security assessments to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited in production environments. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to mobile security guidelines that emphasize the protection of sensitive data during transmission.