CVE-2014-7605 in Actors Key
Summary
by MITRE
The Actors Key (aka com.conduit.app_f83daeb6861b401bb103c33ea4210029.app) application 1.6.24.477 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 identified as CVE-2014-7605 affects the Actors Key Android application version 1.6.24.477, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector that undermines the fundamental security assurances typically provided by secure communication channels. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, potentially exposing users to various forms of malicious interference and data theft.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's certificate verification process, where it fails to perform proper validation of SSL server certificates against trusted certificate authorities. This omission creates a dangerous scenario where the application accepts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its authenticity or legitimacy. The vulnerability can be exploited through man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers intercept communications between the application and legitimate servers, presenting forged certificates that the application accepts without proper scrutiny. This failure in certificate validation essentially removes the cryptographic security guarantees that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to significant risks including data interception, credential theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Attackers can exploit this weakness to eavesdrop on communications, capture user credentials, and potentially redirect users to malicious servers while maintaining the appearance of legitimate connections. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects a mobile application that likely handles user data, personal information, and potentially financial transactions. The lack of certificate verification means that users cannot trust the authenticity of servers they connect to, fundamentally undermining the security model that mobile applications depend upon for secure communications.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1041, T1566, and T1071. These mappings highlight the attack surface and exploitation methods available to threat actors, with T1041 representing the use of network sniffing to capture communications, T1566 covering the use of spearphishing with a malicious attachment or link, and T1071 addressing the application layer protocol usage for command and control communications. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential account takeovers, identity fraud, and broader compromise of user systems through the exploitation of this certificate validation weakness.
Organizations and developers should implement immediate mitigations including updating the application to properly validate SSL certificates against trusted certificate authorities, implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, and ensuring that all SSL/TLS connections perform proper certificate chain validation. The application should be configured to reject self-signed certificates, expired certificates, and certificates from untrusted authorities. Additionally, implementing proper certificate revocation checking and maintaining up-to-date certificate trust stores will significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Security audits should be conducted to verify that all network communications properly validate server certificates and that no other similar vulnerabilities exist within the application's codebase. Regular security testing including penetration testing and vulnerability scanning should be performed to ensure that certificate validation mechanisms remain robust against evolving attack techniques and that the application maintains proper security hygiene throughout its lifecycle.