CVE-2014-7618 in Interior Design
Summary
by MITRE
The Interior Design (aka com.interior.design.mcreda) application 1.0 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 • 10/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7618 affects the Interior Design Android application version 1.0, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's approach to establishing trust with remote servers. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the fundamental security guarantees of encrypted communication. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of weak cryptographic practices and improper certificate validation, which are commonly classified as CWE-295 - Improper Certificate Validation. The absence of proper certificate verification means that the application cannot distinguish between legitimate servers and malicious impostors, fundamentally compromising the integrity of data transmission between the mobile client and backend services.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to perform certificate chain validation and trust verification during SSL handshakes. When the application establishes a connection to a remote server, it should verify that the server's certificate is issued by a trusted certificate authority, that the certificate has not expired, and that the certificate's subject matches the server's hostname. However, this Android application bypasses these critical verification steps entirely, allowing any certificate to be accepted regardless of its authenticity or trustworthiness. This weakness creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where malicious actors can intercept communications by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The attack scenario involves an attacker positioning themselves between the mobile device and the legitimate server, presenting a malicious certificate that the application accepts without proper validation, thereby enabling the attacker to decrypt and potentially modify sensitive data in transit.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass potential data manipulation and complete system compromise. Attackers leveraging this weakness can obtain sensitive user information including personal data, login credentials, and any other information transmitted through the application's communication channels. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for applications handling financial data, personal identification information, or proprietary design content, as the compromised data could be used for identity theft, financial fraud, or intellectual property theft. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the attack pattern taxonomy under MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically relating to credential access and defense evasion tactics. The flaw enables attackers to maintain persistent access to user accounts and sensitive data without detection, as the application's security mechanisms fail to identify the compromised communication channel.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. The recommended approach involves implementing robust certificate pinning techniques that verify server certificates against known good certificates or public key fingerprints, rather than relying solely on certificate authority validation. Additionally, the application should enforce strict hostname verification and implement proper certificate chain validation procedures that check certificate expiration dates, issuer authenticity, and subject matching. Security best practices dictate that mobile applications should utilize the Android TrustManager interface correctly to validate certificates according to industry standards such as those defined in the TLS protocol specifications. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect unusual certificate behavior and establish regular security audits to identify similar validation weaknesses in other applications. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of secure coding practices and proper implementation of cryptographic protocols in mobile applications, as outlined in security frameworks such as the OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines.