CVE-2014-7522 in Maccabi Pakal
Summary
by MITRE
The Maccabi Pakal (aka com.ideomobile.pakalmaccabi) 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-2014-7522 affects the Maccabi Pakal Android application version 1.2, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector that compromises the integrity of encrypted communications between the mobile client and remote servers. The flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security architecture, specifically within its certificate validation mechanism that should enforce proper trust verification.
The technical implementation defect stems from the application's inadequate handling of SSL certificate verification processes, where the software accepts any certificate presented by a server without performing the required validation checks against trusted certificate authorities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and represents a classic example of insufficient certificate trust verification. The application's failure to implement proper certificate pinning or chain-of-trust validation creates an environment where attackers can exploit the trust relationship through certificate spoofing techniques.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to significant risks including data interception, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to sensitive personal information. Attackers can establish man-in-the-middle positions between the mobile application and legitimate servers, allowing them to decrypt and modify communications without detection. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable full account compromise, financial fraud, and privacy violations. This weakness directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1573.002, which describes the use of unencrypted communications and improper certificate validation to establish persistent access to systems.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly severe given the nature of mobile applications that often handle sensitive user data including personal identification, financial information, and private communications. The attack surface is broad since the vulnerability affects all SSL connections within the application, making it a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit mobile banking, healthcare, or corporate communication applications. Organizations deploying such applications face potential regulatory compliance violations under standards like PCI DSS and HIPAA, which mandate proper cryptographic implementation and certificate validation. Mitigation strategies should include immediate implementation of proper certificate validation, deployment of certificate pinning mechanisms, and comprehensive security testing of all cryptographic implementations. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of adhering to established security frameworks and the necessity of thorough security reviews during application development lifecycle phases.