CVE-2014-7501 in Translation Widget
Summary
by MITRE
The Translation Widget (aka com.wTranslationGadget) application 0.1 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 • 10/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7501 affects the Translation Widget application version 0.1 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's handling of secure communications. This issue resides in 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 impacts the application's network security implementation, where it neglects to perform certificate verification against trusted certificate authorities, leaving users exposed to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can intercept and manipulate sensitive information transmitted through the application's communication channels.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's cryptographic implementation where SSL/TLS certificate validation is either completely omitted or inadequately implemented, allowing malicious actors to present forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. This weakness directly violates established security protocols and best practices for mobile application development, as the application fails to establish trust with remote servers through proper certificate chain validation. The vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communication implementations, making it a direct violation of fundamental security requirements for networked applications. Attackers can exploit this flaw by intercepting network traffic and presenting fraudulent certificates that match the expected domain names, enabling them to decrypt and modify communications between the mobile device and target servers without detection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the Translation Widget application and potentially exposes users to comprehensive data breaches. Mobile users who rely on this translation service for sensitive communications, including business correspondence, personal information sharing, or financial transactions, face significant risks when using the vulnerable application. The attack vector allows adversaries to not only read transmitted data but also modify it in transit, potentially injecting malicious content or altering translation results to deceive users into making incorrect decisions based on compromised information. This vulnerability particularly affects the confidentiality and integrity aspects of the CIA triad, as it enables unauthorized access to sensitive information while simultaneously allowing modification of data during transmission, creating a complete breakdown in the application's security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from both application developers and end-users. Application developers must implement proper SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms that verify certificate chains against trusted root certificates, implement certificate pinning where appropriate, and ensure that all network communications utilize secure cryptographic protocols. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their mobile applications to identify similar certificate validation flaws that may exist in other components of their mobile infrastructure. Users should avoid using vulnerable applications until patches are available and consider alternative translation services that properly implement secure communication protocols. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and defense evasion, as attackers can leverage the compromised trust relationship to maintain persistent access to user data while avoiding detection through proper certificate validation mechanisms. The vulnerability also represents a significant concern for compliance with industry standards such as pci dss and hipaa, which require robust cryptographic implementations to protect sensitive data in transit.