CVE-2014-7535 in Classic Racer
Summary
by MITRE
The Classic Racer (aka com.triactivemedia.classicracer) application @7F0801AA 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 • 10/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7535 affects the Classic Racer Android application version 7F0801AA, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's SSL certificate validation mechanism. This weakness resides in the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers during secure communications, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors. The issue stems from the application's improper implementation of SSL/TLS certificate validation, which is a fundamental security control designed to ensure the authenticity and integrity of network connections. According to CWE-295, this represents a failure to validate certificates, which directly violates industry best practices for secure communication protocols. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of certificate validation failures that can lead to severe security implications in mobile applications.
The technical flaw manifests when the application establishes SSL connections to remote servers without performing proper certificate verification procedures. This allows attackers to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged SSL certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The attack occurs because the application accepts any certificate presented by the server without validating its authenticity through proper certificate chains, root certificate authorities, or certificate expiration dates. This behavior creates an insecure communication channel where sensitive information transmitted between the mobile device and the server can be intercepted, modified, or redirected by malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's trust model, where it fails to implement proper certificate pinning or validation checks that would normally be enforced by the Android operating system's security framework.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it exposes users to potential data breaches and privacy violations. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept sensitive user information including personal data, login credentials, payment information, or other confidential communications that the application handles during its normal operation. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of data in transit, which directly violates the core security principles of information security frameworks. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for user authentication, data synchronization, or transaction processing become particularly vulnerable. The attack vector is especially concerning in the mobile environment where users often connect to untrusted networks, making the lack of proper certificate validation a critical security risk. This vulnerability can be exploited through various attack scenarios including public Wi-Fi networks, compromised network infrastructure, or sophisticated phishing operations.
Organizations and developers should implement multiple mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The primary remediation involves implementing proper SSL certificate validation within the application code, ensuring that all certificate verification procedures are performed before establishing secure connections. This includes validating certificate chains, checking certificate expiration dates, and verifying the certificate's signature against trusted root certificate authorities. The implementation should follow industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project recommendations for secure communication. Additionally, certificate pinning should be implemented to prevent the application from accepting any certificate except those explicitly trusted by the application developers. The mitigation strategy should also include regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network communication components. Network administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring and detection measures to identify potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to established security frameworks that emphasize proper certificate handling and validation mechanisms. The remediation efforts should be integrated into the overall security development lifecycle to prevent similar issues from occurring in future application versions or related software components.