CVE-2014-7552 in Zombie Diary
Summary
by MITRE
The Zombie Diary (aka com.ezjoy.feelingtouch.zombiediary) application 1.2.2 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 • 10/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7552 resides within the Zombie Diary Android application version 1.2.2, specifically targeting the application's SSL certificate verification mechanisms. This weakness represents a critical security flaw that fundamentally undermines the application's ability to establish secure communications with remote servers. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS handshakes, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the client and server. According to CWE-295, this issue directly maps to improper certificate validation, where the application accepts any certificate without proper verification of its authenticity, issuer, or trust chain. The vulnerability affects the core security principle of mutual authentication, which is essential for maintaining confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between the mobile application and backend services.
The technical implementation flaw manifests when the application establishes secure connections to remote servers for features such as user authentication, data synchronization, or content delivery. During the SSL/TLS handshake process, the application fails to perform certificate chain validation, signature verification, or hostname matching that would normally occur when properly implementing secure communication protocols. This allows attackers positioned in the network path to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting a maliciously crafted certificate that appears legitimate to the vulnerable application. The certificate could be signed by a trusted Certificate Authority that the application trusts, but the application fails to validate that the certificate is appropriate for the target server. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which describes techniques for establishing persistence and maintaining access through network communications, as it enables attackers to intercept and manipulate all traffic between the application and its servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it allows attackers to obtain sensitive user information, manipulate application behavior, and potentially gain unauthorized access to user accounts. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for user authentication, personal data storage, or transaction processing become particularly vulnerable when they fail to validate SSL certificates. Attackers can exploit this weakness to capture user credentials, session tokens, or personal information transmitted over the network, potentially leading to account takeovers or identity theft. The vulnerability also enables attackers to inject malicious content into the application's communications, potentially leading to further compromise of the user's device or data. This weakness particularly affects applications that handle sensitive information or require secure authentication mechanisms, as it undermines the entire security architecture of the communication channel. The absence of certificate verification creates a trust boundary that can be easily exploited by adversaries, making it a significant concern for any mobile application that processes sensitive user data or maintains user sessions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-7552 should focus on implementing proper SSL certificate validation within the application's networking layer. Developers must ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform comprehensive certificate chain validation, including signature verification, expiration date checking, and hostname validation against the certificate's subject alternative names. The application should implement certificate pinning where appropriate, storing known good certificate fingerprints or public keys to verify against server certificates. Additionally, the application should enforce strict certificate validation policies that reject any certificate that fails to meet established security criteria. Security patches should update the application to include proper certificate validation routines, ensuring that all network communications require verified certificates before establishing connections. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and establish security policies that require regular security assessments of mobile applications. The fix should align with industry standards such as those recommended by NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and TLS implementation, ensuring that the application's security posture meets established best practices for mobile application security.