CVE-2014-7494 in Kontan Kiosk
Summary
by MITRE
The Kontan Kiosk (aka com.appsfoundry.scoopwl.id.kontankiosk) application @7F07025E 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-2014-7494 affects the Kontan Kiosk Android application, specifically version 7F07025E, which is part of the com.appsfoundry.scoopwl.id.kontankiosk package. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's cryptographic implementation and certificate validation mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communication sessions. This oversight creates a significant attack surface that enables malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the client application and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate verification within the application's SSL/TLS implementation. When the Kontan Kiosk application establishes connections to remote servers using SSL/TLS protocols, it does not perform the necessary validation steps that should occur during the certificate chain verification process. This includes checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate authorities, and ensuring proper certificate signatures. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols. Attackers can exploit this weakness by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the application, thereby bypassing the intended security protections.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Man-in-the-middle attackers can successfully impersonate legitimate servers and establish fraudulent communication channels with the vulnerable application. This enables attackers to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the application and remote servers. The vulnerability particularly affects applications that handle confidential data such as user credentials, personal information, financial data, or proprietary business information. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates at the transport layer security level, making it difficult for end users to detect unauthorized activities. According to ATT&CK framework technique T1046, this vulnerability enables network service detection and manipulation, while T1566 covers the use of credential harvesting through compromised communication channels.
The implications extend beyond simple data interception to include potential account takeover scenarios, session hijacking, and comprehensive surveillance of user activities. Since the application operates in a kiosk environment, the attack surface may be even more critical as these systems often handle sensitive business data or serve public-facing functions. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat that remains active as long as the application continues to operate without proper certificate validation. Organizations using this application face significant risk of data breaches and regulatory compliance violations, particularly in industries governed by standards such as pci dss, hipaa, or gdpr. The lack of certificate pinning or alternative verification mechanisms compounds the severity of this issue, leaving no fallback protection against certificate-based attacks.
Effective mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary solution involves implementing proper certificate validation procedures that include full chain verification, expiration date checks, and certificate authority validation. Organizations should consider implementing certificate pinning mechanisms to prevent the acceptance of unauthorized certificates even if they are technically valid. The application should be updated to include robust SSL/TLS configuration that enforces certificate validation at all communication points. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and systems. Network-level protections such as ssl inspection and monitoring should complement application-level fixes to provide defense-in-depth. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of cryptographic implementation best practices and the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle.