CVE-2014-7539 in Zhang Zhijun Taiwan Visit 2014-06-25
Summary
by MITRE
The Zhang Zhijun Taiwan Visit 2014-06-25 (aka com.zizizzi) application 1.0 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-2014-7539 affects the Zhang Zhijun Taiwan Visit Android application version 1.0, specifically targeting the application's handling of SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms. This represents a critical security flaw in the mobile application's cryptographic implementation that fundamentally undermines the security assurances provided by Transport Layer Security protocols. The application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates from SSL servers creates a severe attack surface that enables malicious actors to establish fraudulent connections with the application's backend services.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's complete absence of certificate pinning or validation procedures during SSL handshakes. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of insufficient cryptographic validation. When an Android application fails to verify SSL certificates, it essentially trusts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its authenticity or legitimacy. This weakness allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, thereby breaking the fundamental security guarantees of encrypted communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive information through crafted certificates that can masquerade as legitimate servers. Mobile applications that rely on unverified SSL connections become vulnerable to various attack vectors including credential theft, session hijacking, and data exfiltration. The vulnerability particularly affects applications that handle sensitive user information or communicate with backend services that require secure authentication mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate services and gain unauthorized access to user data or application resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation procedures within the Android application. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning mechanisms that validate server certificates against known good certificates or public key fingerprints. Organizations should utilize Android's built-in certificate validation APIs and avoid custom implementations that bypass standard security checks. Additionally, the application should implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures and ensure that all network communications enforce strict certificate validation. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following security best practices outlined in OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines and adheres to the ATT&CK technique T1041 for Exfiltration Over C2 Channel, where compromised applications can facilitate data exfiltration through improperly secured communications.