CVE-2014-7581 in Quotes of Travis Barker
Summary
by MITRE
The Quotes of Travis Barker (aka com.celebrity_quotes.travisbarker) application 0.0.1 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-2014-7581 affects the Quotes of Travis Barker Android application version 0.0.1, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability stems from the application's lack of certificate verification mechanisms, which are fundamental components of secure network communication.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of SSL certificate validation within the application's network communication stack. When the application establishes connections to remote servers, it fails to perform the necessary X.509 certificate verification steps that should confirm the authenticity and validity of server certificates. This omission allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The flaw directly violates established security best practices and represents a classic example of improper certificate validation as classified by CWE-295, which specifically addresses the failure to validate certificates in secure communication protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables sophisticated attack scenarios that can compromise user privacy and system integrity. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers and establish fraudulent connections with the application, potentially capturing sensitive user information, credentials, or personal data transmitted through the vulnerable communication channels. The vulnerability affects all users of the specific Android application version and creates persistent security risks that remain active until the underlying code is patched and updated. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1573.001 for "Reversible Encryption" and represents a significant threat to mobile application security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-7581 require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application's network communication layer. The fix involves implementing robust certificate pinning or proper certificate chain validation that verifies the authenticity of SSL certificates against trusted certificate authorities. Security patches should enforce certificate validation checks, including expiration date verification, certificate authority validation, and proper hostname matching to prevent certificate spoofing attacks. Additionally, developers should implement certificate pinning techniques to ensure that the application only accepts specific certificates or certificate authorities, significantly reducing the attack surface. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security reviews of their mobile applications to identify similar certificate validation vulnerabilities and implement proper security controls in accordance with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-52 and OWASP Mobile Top 10 guidelines.