CVE-2014-7564 in Simple Car Care Tip
Summary
by MITRE
The Simple Car Care Tip and Advice (aka com.a1481542198504ee106f182c8a.a40350826a) application 1.03 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 • 10/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7564 affects the Simple Car Care Tip and Advice Android application version 1.03, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communications. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating an exploitable weakness that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by secure communication protocols. The vulnerability manifests when the application establishes connections to remote servers using HTTPS or SSL, as it fails to perform certificate verification checks that are essential for maintaining trust in the communication channel.
From a technical perspective, the flaw constitutes a failure in certificate pinning and validation mechanisms, which falls under CWE-295 - Improper Certificate Validation. The application essentially accepts any certificate presented by a server without performing the necessary cryptographic verification steps that would normally confirm the certificate's authenticity and ensure it was issued by a trusted certificate authority. This allows attackers to intercept communications through man-in-the-middle attacks, where malicious actors can present fraudulent certificates that the application will accept as legitimate. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core security infrastructure of the application's network communications, making it possible for attackers to eavesdrop on sensitive data exchanges or even inject malicious content into the communication stream.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it creates opportunities for attackers to compromise user data and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. When users interact with the application, any data transmitted between the mobile device and remote servers becomes vulnerable to exploitation, including personal information, login credentials, or other sensitive data that may be processed through the application. The attack vector requires the adversary to position themselves between the user's device and the server, typically through network manipulation or compromised network infrastructure, and then present a forged certificate that the application will accept without proper validation. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1041 - Exfiltration Over C2 Channel, as it enables data exfiltration through compromised communication channels.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address the fundamental flaw in certificate validation within the application's network stack. The most effective remediation involves implementing proper SSL certificate verification mechanisms that validate certificate chains against trusted root certificates, implement certificate pinning for critical endpoints, and ensure that the application performs comprehensive cryptographic validation before establishing secure connections. Developers should also consider implementing certificate revocation checking and regularly update their trusted certificate stores to maintain security posture. Additionally, the application should be designed to fail securely when certificate validation fails, rather than proceeding with potentially compromised communications. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual certificate behavior and consider deploying network-level protections such as SSL inspection tools that can identify and block suspicious certificate usage patterns. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of secure coding practices and the necessity of following established security frameworks such as the OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines for mobile application security.