CVE-2014-7524 in Bed
Summary
by MITRE
The Bed and Breakfast (aka com.wbedandbreakfastapp) 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-2014-7524 affects the Bed and Breakfast Android application version 0.1, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This represents a critical flaw in the application's security architecture that fundamentally undermines the integrity of encrypted communications between the mobile client and remote servers. The issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during the SSL/TLS handshake process, creating a significant security gap that malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate verification mechanisms within the application's SSL implementation. When establishing secure connections to remote servers, the application accepts any certificate presented without performing the necessary validation checks that are standard in secure communication protocols. This includes failing to verify certificate expiration dates, validate certificate authorities, check certificate subject names against the target server, and ensure certificate chains are properly signed and trusted. The vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and represents a classic example of weak cryptographic implementation that violates fundamental security principles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, creating multiple attack vectors for man-in-the-middle adversaries who can exploit the weakness to intercept and manipulate communications. Attackers can present forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, allowing them to establish fake secure connections and capture sensitive user information including login credentials, personal data, financial information, and other confidential communications. This vulnerability particularly affects users who rely on the application for accessing sensitive services, as it enables attackers to create convincing impersonation scenarios that bypass traditional security measures. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that the vulnerability exists in a mobile application context where users may connect through untrusted networks, increasing the likelihood of successful exploitation.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to several ATT&CK techniques including T1573.002 for encrypted channel protocol implementation and T1046 for network service scanning, as attackers can leverage the weak certificate validation to establish unauthorized communication channels. The vulnerability also aligns with T1566.001 for spearphishing with a link, as attackers can craft convincing phishing campaigns that exploit this weakness to gain access to user accounts and sensitive data. Organizations and users should consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous certificate behavior and establish proper certificate pinning mechanisms to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited in real-world scenarios.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability involve implementing proper certificate validation procedures within the application's SSL/TLS implementation. Developers should enforce certificate chain validation, verify certificate expiration dates, and ensure that certificates are issued by trusted certificate authorities. The application should implement certificate pinning mechanisms that explicitly define which certificates or certificate authorities are acceptable for establishing secure connections. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to ensure that cryptographic implementations meet current security standards and that no similar vulnerabilities exist in other parts of the application. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based security controls that can detect and prevent man-in-the-middle attacks targeting vulnerable applications, particularly in environments where mobile applications handle sensitive data.