CVE-2014-7689 in GzoneRC - The RC Hobby Hub
Summary
by MITRE
The GzoneRC - The RC Hobby Hub (aka com.wGzoneRC) 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.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7689 affects the GzoneRC Android application version 0.1, which is designed for RC hobby enthusiasts to connect with their remote control vehicles. This application establishes secure communication channels with remote servers using SSL/TLS protocols to transmit sensitive user data including vehicle control commands, telemetry information, and personal account details. The flaw resides in the application's certificate validation mechanism, which fails to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during the handshake process. This critical security weakness allows malicious actors to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, thereby compromising the integrity and confidentiality of all communications between the mobile device and the remote server infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to perform proper certificate chain validation and hostname verification as mandated by standard SSL/TLS security practices. When an Android application establishes an SSL connection, it should validate that the server certificate is issued by a trusted Certificate Authority, that the certificate has not expired, and that the certificate's subject matches the hostname being connected to. The GzoneRC application bypasses these essential verification steps, creating a trust relationship with any certificate presented by the server regardless of its authenticity or legitimacy. This weakness directly maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a fundamental failure in the application's secure communication implementation. The vulnerability operates at the transport layer security level, where the application should enforce certificate pinning or proper certificate verification mechanisms as outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines for secure communication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables attackers to intercept, modify, and potentially steal sensitive data transmitted between the mobile device and the application's backend servers. An attacker positioned within the network path can present a malicious certificate to the application, causing it to establish a secure-looking connection while actually communicating with the attacker's server instead of the legitimate service. This allows for the theft of user credentials, vehicle control commands that could be modified in transit, telemetry data that might reveal vehicle locations or operational parameters, and potentially sensitive personal information stored in user accounts. The vulnerability creates a persistent security risk that affects all users of the application, as the attack can be executed without requiring any special privileges or physical access to the device. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability aligns with technique T1046 Network Service Scanning and T1566 Credential Access through Social Engineering, as it enables the establishment of unauthorized communication channels that can be used for data exfiltration and command injection attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate remediation of the application's SSL/TLS implementation to enforce proper certificate validation procedures. The application developers should implement certificate pinning mechanisms that validate server certificates against known good certificates or public keys, ensuring that only certificates from trusted authorities are accepted. Additionally, the application should perform strict hostname verification to ensure that the certificate presented matches the expected server hostname. Security patches should enforce certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate authority signatures, and ensuring that certificates are not revoked. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level security controls such as SSL inspection and monitoring for suspicious certificate usage patterns. The fix should align with industry standards including the NIST SP 800-52 guidelines for certificate management and the OWASP Mobile Security Project recommendations for secure communication in mobile applications. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that certificate validation mechanisms remain robust against evolving attack techniques and that the application maintains proper security posture throughout its lifecycle.