CVE-2014-7551 in Noticias Bebes Beybies
Summary
by MITRE
The Noticias Bebes Beybies (aka com.beybies) 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 CVE-2014-7551 vulnerability affects the Noticias Bebes Beybies Android application version 1.0, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This vulnerability resides in the application's cryptographic implementation where it fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications. The absence of certificate validation creates a dangerous attack surface that enables malicious actors to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against users of the application. This specific flaw falls under the category of weak cryptographic practices and improper certificate validation, which are commonly classified as CWE-295 - Improper Certificate Validation within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to perform proper SSL certificate chain validation and hostname verification. When the application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it accepts any certificate presented without verifying its authenticity through trusted certificate authorities. Attackers can exploit this by generating and presenting a malicious certificate that appears to be from a legitimate server, thereby deceiving the application into believing it is communicating with a trusted entity. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles of the Transport Layer Security protocol suite and represents a failure in the application's security architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive attack scenarios that can compromise user privacy and data integrity. An attacker positioned between the user and the server can not only eavesdrop on communications but also modify data in transit, inject malicious content, or redirect users to fraudulent endpoints. The vulnerability affects all users of the application who engage in network communications, potentially exposing sensitive information such as personal data, login credentials, or other confidential information transmitted through the application's network connections. This type of attack vector aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 - Network Service Scanning and T1566 - Phishing, as it enables attackers to establish unauthorized communication channels with compromised applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers must implement certificate pinning to ensure the application only accepts certificates from specific trusted authorities or specific certificate fingerprints. The application should perform comprehensive certificate chain validation, including hostname verification, certificate expiration checks, and signature verification against trusted root certificates. Additionally, implementing certificate transparency checks and regularly updating the trusted certificate store can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and establish secure communication protocols that enforce strict certificate validation. This vulnerability underscores the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, particularly the M3 - Insecure Communication category, which emphasizes the critical need for proper SSL/TLS implementation in mobile applications.