CVE-2014-7620 in Authors On Tour - Live!
Summary
by MITRE
The Authors On Tour - Live! (aka com.appmakr.app122286) application 4 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-2014-7620 affects the Authors On Tour - Live! Android application version 4, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's SSL certificate validation mechanism. This weakness resides in the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, creating a significant attack vector for man-in-the-middle adversaries who can exploit this gap to impersonate legitimate servers. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish secure communication channels with backend services, potentially exposing users to data interception and unauthorized access attempts. The flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's cryptographic security implementation, as it fails to perform essential certificate chain validation and trust verification processes that are standard requirements for secure mobile applications.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability manifests as a failure to implement proper certificate pinning or validation routines that would normally verify the authenticity of SSL certificates presented by servers. The application appears to accept any certificate presented without performing the necessary checks against trusted certificate authorities or validating certificate signatures, subject validity periods, and other critical certificate attributes. This behavior aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and represents a direct violation of secure communication standards. The absence of certificate verification creates a trust relationship that can be easily exploited by attackers who can present malicious certificates to intercept and manipulate communication between the mobile application and its servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the application and potentially exposes users to various forms of attack. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, intercepting sensitive user data, session tokens, and personal information transmitted through the application's communication channels. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for applications handling user credentials, personal information, or financial data, as the lack of certificate verification means that any data transmitted can be accessed by malicious actors. This weakness also enables credential harvesting attacks where attackers can capture login information and session data, potentially leading to account takeovers and unauthorized access to user accounts. The impact is exacerbated by the fact that this is a mobile application where users may be accessing the service from untrusted networks, increasing the attack surface and exploitation opportunities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address the fundamental lack of certificate validation within the application. The most effective approach involves implementing proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms that verify certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities, validate certificate signatures, and ensure proper subject names and validity periods. Organizations should implement certificate pinning techniques that explicitly define which certificates or certificate authorities the application will trust, preventing the acceptance of unauthorized certificates. The solution should also incorporate proper error handling for certificate validation failures, ensuring that the application terminates connections when certificate verification fails rather than proceeding with insecure communications. Security protocols should be updated to comply with industry standards such as those defined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, which emphasizes the importance of secure communication in mobile applications. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the organization's portfolio, as this type of certificate validation flaw is common in mobile applications that prioritize functionality over security implementation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following the ATT&CK framework's mobile application security considerations, particularly in areas related to secure communication and credential handling.