CVE-2014-7513 in Top Hangover Cures
Summary
by MITRE
The Top Hangover Cures (aka com.TopHangoverCures) application 1.2 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 • 10/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7513 affects the Top Hangover Cures Android application version 1.2, specifically targeting the application's handling of SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanisms. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's cryptographic implementation, where the software fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise the integrity of data transmission between the mobile application and remote servers. This vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish secure connections and maintain the confidentiality and authenticity of sensitive information exchanged during runtime operations.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the application's failure to perform proper certificate chain validation and trust verification processes. When an Android application establishes SSL connections, it should validate the server certificate against trusted certificate authorities and ensure the certificate's validity period, subject names, and cryptographic strength meet established security standards. The Top Hangover Cures application bypasses these critical validation steps, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This weakness enables man-in-the-middle attacks where adversaries can intercept and manipulate communications without detection, potentially accessing user credentials, personal data, or other sensitive information transmitted through the application's network connections.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the security model that users expect from mobile applications. Attackers can exploit this flaw to create fake server environments that the application accepts as legitimate, enabling them to capture session tokens, personal information, financial data, or other confidential materials. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected application version and creates persistent security risks that remain active until the application is updated or uninstalled. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in mobile environments where applications often handle sensitive personal and financial information, making the lack of certificate verification a critical security gap that exposes users to various forms of cyber attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate application updates that implement proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms. Security experts recommend that developers implement certificate pinning techniques to ensure that applications only accept specific certificates or certificate authorities, thereby preventing attackers from using fraudulent certificates. The fix should incorporate standard Android security practices including proper certificate chain validation, revocation checking, and time-based certificate validation. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and establish security awareness training for users to recognize suspicious network behavior. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation and relates to ATT&CK technique T1573.001 for establishing persistence through secure channel creation, emphasizing the need for robust certificate validation in mobile application security implementations.