CVE-2014-7595 in devada
Summary
by MITRE
The devada.co.uk (aka com.wdevadacouk) application 1.2 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 • 10/12/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-7595 represents a critical security flaw in the devada.co.uk Android application version 1.2, specifically targeting the application's handling of SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanisms. This weakness falls under the broader category of insufficient certificate validation, which is a fundamental security control in cryptographic communications. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the client application and remote servers. This flaw directly violates established security protocols and compromises the integrity of encrypted communications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to perform proper certificate chain validation and hostname verification processes. When an Android application establishes SSL connections, it should validate that the server's certificate is issued by a trusted Certificate Authority, that the certificate has not expired, and that the certificate's hostname matches the server being connected to. The devada.co.uk application bypasses these essential checks, allowing attackers to present forged certificates that the application accepts without question. This behavior creates a trust relationship that can be easily manipulated, effectively disabling the security assurances provided by the SSL/TLS protocol.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to significant risks including data interception, session hijacking, and credential theft. Attackers positioned within the network traffic path can perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The implications extend beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable complete compromise of user sessions and sensitive data transfers. This vulnerability particularly affects applications that handle personal information, financial data, or authentication credentials, making it a serious concern for any mobile application that relies on secure communications. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that this vulnerability affects the Android platform's native SSL implementation, meaning that standard security measures may be insufficient to protect against such attacks.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols. This weakness creates a direct pathway for attackers to exploit the trust model established by SSL/TLS certificates, enabling them to establish fraudulent connections that appear legitimate to the victim application. The vulnerability also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1041, where adversaries use man-in-the-middle techniques to intercept and modify network traffic, and T1566, which involves social engineering to gain access to systems through compromised network communications. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including certificate pinning, proper certificate validation routines, and regular security audits of mobile applications to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced into their software development lifecycle. The remediation process requires developers to implement proper SSL certificate validation, including certificate chain verification, expiration checking, and hostname validation to ensure that only legitimate certificates are accepted by the application.