CVE-2014-7656 in Indian Management
Summary
by MITRE
The Indian Management (aka com.magzter.indianmanagement) application 3.0 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-2014-7656 affects the Indian Management application version 3.0 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's handling of secure communications. This issue falls under the category of inadequate certificate validation within the application's SSL/TLS implementation, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers constitutes a fundamental breakdown in the security architecture designed to protect sensitive information transmitted over network connections.
The technical flaw manifests as the application's complete absence of certificate verification mechanisms during SSL/TLS handshakes, allowing attackers to establish fraudulent secure connections with users. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and specifically targets the lack of proper certificate chain validation and hostname checking that should occur during secure communications. When an attacker successfully performs a man-in-the-middle attack through this vulnerability, they can present a crafted certificate that the application accepts without proper scrutiny, effectively bypassing the security protections that SSL/TLS is designed to provide.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to not only eavesdrop on communications but also to actively modify data in transit, inject malicious content, or redirect users to fraudulent endpoints. This weakness particularly affects applications handling sensitive user information, financial data, or confidential business communications, as the compromised connection allows for complete information theft and potential system compromise. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by the fact that it affects a mobile application, where users may be accessing sensitive information from various network environments including public Wi-Fi networks that are inherently less secure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation procedures within the application's network communication layer. The recommended approach involves implementing robust certificate pinning mechanisms, establishing proper certificate chain validation, and ensuring hostname verification occurs during SSL/TLS handshakes. Security measures should include configuring the application to validate certificate signatures against trusted certificate authorities, implementing certificate revocation checking, and adopting industry best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior and establish regular security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications or components within their technology stack. The fix requires comprehensive code review and reimplementation of secure communication protocols to align with established security standards and prevent similar issues from occurring in future versions of the application.