CVE-2014-7631 in Villa Antonia
Summary
by MITRE
The Villa Antonia (aka com.appbuilder.u7p5019) application 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 • 10/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7631 affects the Villa Antonia Android application, specifically version 1, which demonstrates a critical flaw in secure communication protocols. This application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant security gap that exposes users to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks. The flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's cryptographic security implementation, as it does not perform the essential certificate verification steps that are standard practice in secure mobile applications. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of data transmitted between the mobile application and remote servers, potentially allowing attackers to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper certificate pinning or validation mechanisms. When an Android application establishes an SSL connection, it should verify that the server's certificate is valid, properly signed by a trusted Certificate Authority, and matches the expected hostname. The Villa Antonia application bypasses these critical checks, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This behavior aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of weak cryptographic implementation that violates fundamental security principles. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic trust model that SSL/TLS is designed to provide, making the application's communication channels vulnerable to interception and manipulation.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for users of the application, particularly when accessing sensitive information or conducting transactions. Attackers can exploit this weakness to establish fake servers that appear legitimate to the application, potentially capturing login credentials, personal data, financial information, or other confidential communications. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to potential financial losses, identity theft, and corporate data breaches if the application handles business-critical information. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users may connect to unsecured public networks, increasing the attack surface for man-in-the-middle exploitation. The flaw also violates industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, which emphasizes the importance of proper certificate validation in mobile applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques, ensuring that the application only accepts certificates from specific trusted authorities or specific certificate fingerprints. The application must validate certificate chains, verify hostnames, and check certificate expiration dates before establishing secure connections. Security measures should include implementing the Android TrustManager interface correctly, utilizing certificate validation libraries, and conducting regular security audits of cryptographic implementations. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level security controls such as SSL inspection and monitoring for suspicious certificate behavior. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of following established security frameworks and standards, including those from NIST and the Android Security team, which emphasize the necessity of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications to prevent such widespread security failures.