CVE-2014-7655 in Transport Museum
Summary
by MITRE
The Dresden Transport Museum (aka de.appack.project.vmd) application 2.2 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-2014-7655 affects the Dresden Transport Museum Android application version 2.2, specifically targeting its secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's implementation of SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors. The vulnerability resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL connections, which fundamentally undermines the security assurances that should be provided by secure communication channels. This issue is particularly concerning given the sensitive nature of information that mobile applications might handle, including user data, personal information, and potentially proprietary content related to museum collections and exhibits.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate verification within the application's SSL implementation. When establishing secure connections to remote servers, the application accepts any certificate presented by the server without performing the necessary cryptographic validation steps. This includes checking certificate authorities, verifying certificate expiration dates, and ensuring proper certificate chains. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and represents a classic example of weak cryptographic implementation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by deploying malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, allowing them to intercept and potentially manipulate all data transmitted between the mobile device and the server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise the integrity and confidentiality of all communications. An attacker positioned between the mobile device and the server can present a forged certificate that the application accepts without question, effectively creating a transparent proxy for all network traffic. This capability allows for comprehensive surveillance of user activities, potential data exfiltration, and the injection of malicious content into the application's communication streams. The vulnerability affects not only the immediate data being transmitted but also any authentication mechanisms that rely on secure communication channels, potentially enabling credential theft and unauthorized access to protected resources within the museum's digital infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary solution involves implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms that verify certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities, check certificate expiration dates, and ensure that certificates are issued for the correct hostnames. Organizations should implement certificate pinning techniques to further strengthen security by hardcoding expected certificate fingerprints within the application. This approach aligns with industry best practices and security frameworks that emphasize the importance of robust cryptographic implementations. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the application ecosystem, ensuring comprehensive protection against similar threats. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications and the potential consequences of neglecting these security measures.