CVE-2014-7659 in ExpeditersOnline.com
Summary
by MITRE
The ExpeditersOnline.com Forum (aka com.quoord.tapatalkeo.activity) application 3.7.13 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-2014-7659 affects the ExpeditersOnline.com Forum Android application version 3.7.13, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, fundamentally undermining the security of data transmission between the mobile client and backend services.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate validation mechanism within the application's network communication stack. When the Android application attempts to establish secure connections with SSL servers, it fails to perform proper certificate chain validation, hostname verification, or trust anchor checking. This omission allows attackers to intercept communications by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The flaw aligns with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and represents a classic example of a man-in-the-middle attack vulnerability. The application essentially accepts any certificate presented by a server without verifying its authenticity through established certificate authorities or cryptographic validation processes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive information transmitted through the application's network connections. Mobile users of the ExpeditersOnline.com Forum may unknowingly share personal data, login credentials, or business information with compromised servers. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for a forum application that likely handles user accounts, private messages, and potentially business-related communications. Attackers can exploit this weakness to eavesdrop on conversations, capture user sessions, or redirect users to malicious servers that appear legitimate to the application. This vulnerability creates an environment where sensitive data can be silently compromised without the user's knowledge, undermining the confidentiality and integrity of all communications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation within the application's network layer. Developers should implement certificate pinning mechanisms to ensure that only specific certificates or certificate authorities are accepted for connections. The application must perform comprehensive X.509 certificate validation including chain of trust verification, hostname matching, and expiration date checking. Security measures should align with industry best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and NIST guidelines for mobile application security. Additionally, the application should implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures and establish secure communication protocols that prevent downgrade attacks. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that certificate validation mechanisms remain robust against evolving attack techniques and that the application maintains compliance with established security standards and frameworks.