CVE-2014-7640 in Hotel Room
Summary
by MITRE
The Hotel Room (aka com.wHotelRoom) application 0.1 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.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7640 affects the Hotel Room Android application version 0.1, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This weakness represents a critical failure in the application's security architecture where proper certificate validation mechanisms are completely absent from the SSL/TLS communication stack. The absence of X.509 certificate verification creates a fundamental security gap that directly enables malicious actors to exploit the communication channel between the mobile client and remote servers.
This flaw constitutes a classic man-in-the-middle attack vector where adversaries can intercept and manipulate secure communications without detection. The application's failure to validate server certificates means it accepts any certificate presented by a malicious server, regardless of its legitimacy or trustworthiness. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols. The attack scenario involves an attacker positioned between the Android device and the legitimate server, capable of presenting a forged certificate that the application accepts without question.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass complete compromise of user privacy and data integrity. Sensitive information transmitted through the vulnerable application could include personal identifiers, financial data, authentication credentials, and other confidential information that users expect to be protected through secure communication channels. The vulnerability affects the core security principle of authentication, as the application cannot verify that it is communicating with the intended server. This weakness is particularly dangerous in mobile applications where users often transmit sensitive data over potentially insecure networks.
From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1041 for exfiltration and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. The lack of certificate validation creates an environment where attackers can establish persistent communication channels with malicious servers while remaining undetected by the application's security mechanisms. Organizations and users should consider this vulnerability as a critical risk factor in mobile application security, particularly in applications handling sensitive data. The remediation approach requires implementing proper certificate pinning mechanisms, ensuring certificate validation against trusted Certificate Authorities, and establishing robust secure communication protocols that adhere to industry standards such as those defined by NIST SP 800-52 for secure socket layer implementation.