CVE-2014-7649 in Classic Car Buyer
Summary
by MITRE
The Classic Car Buyer (aka com.magazinecloner.carbuyer) application @7F08017A 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 • 10/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7649 affects the Classic Car Buyer Android application, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw resides in the application's handling of SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms, creating a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of encrypted communications between the mobile client and remote servers. The application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates represents a fundamental breakdown in its security architecture, leaving users exposed to sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise sensitive data transmission.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the application's omission of proper certificate verification procedures during SSL handshakes. When an Android application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it should validate the server's X.509 certificate against trusted certificate authorities and verify that the certificate matches the server's hostname. In this case, the Classic Car Buyer application bypasses these essential verification steps, allowing malicious actors to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" through the exploitation of weak cryptographic implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise user privacy and sensitive information. Attackers can exploit this weakness to establish fake server endpoints that appear authentic to the application, potentially capturing login credentials, personal information, financial data, or other confidential communications. The implications are particularly severe for applications handling user accounts or financial transactions, as the vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to impersonate legitimate services and gain unauthorized access to user data. This weakness essentially removes the cryptographic protection that users expect when communicating with secure services, making all data transmitted through the application susceptible to interception and manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers must ensure that all SSL/TLS connections verify certificate chains against trusted root certificates and perform hostname validation checks. The application should implement certificate pinning where appropriate to prevent the acceptance of fraudulent certificates, even if they are signed by trusted authorities. Security updates should enforce strict certificate validation procedures and eliminate any hardcoded trust for specific certificate authorities. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual certificate behavior and consider deploying certificate transparency monitoring to identify potential certificate misissuance. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to established security frameworks such as those defined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, which emphasizes the need for proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications.