CVE-2014-7712 in Hotel
Summary
by MITRE
The Tiket.com Hotel & Flight (aka com.tiket.gits) application 1.1.2 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 • 10/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7712 affects the Tiket.com Hotel & Flight Android application version 1.1.2, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates during network communications, creating a significant exposure that undermines the fundamental security guarantees of encrypted connections. The application's insecure handling of certificate verification creates an environment where malicious actors can exploit the trust relationship between the client and server, fundamentally compromising the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between the mobile device and remote servers.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the application's improper implementation of certificate validation mechanisms within its SSL/TLS communication stack. Specifically, the application fails to perform X.509 certificate verification, which is a critical security control designed to ensure that the server presenting the certificate is legitimate and authorized to operate under the claimed domain. This flaw enables attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear valid to the application, allowing them to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive data transmitted through the application's network connections. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which describes improper certificate validation in security protocols, and represents a classic example of how mobile applications can inadvertently create security holes through insufficient cryptographic implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it creates opportunities for comprehensive attack vectors that can compromise user privacy and financial security. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can obtain sensitive information including user credentials, personal identification details, payment information, and other confidential data that users expect to be protected through secure communications. The vulnerability affects the application's ability to maintain authenticated connections, potentially allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate servers and redirect users to malicious endpoints. This creates a persistent threat that can be exploited across multiple sessions and user interactions, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for applications handling sensitive personal and financial data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS stack. Organizations should implement certificate pinning techniques to ensure that the application only accepts specific certificates or certificate authorities, preventing attackers from using fraudulent certificates to establish malicious connections. The application should be updated to include proper certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate signatures, and ensuring that certificates are issued by trusted certificate authorities. Additionally, implementing certificate transparency checks and regular security audits of cryptographic implementations will help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following established security frameworks and standards, particularly those addressing secure communication protocols and certificate management, to ensure that mobile applications maintain the integrity of their network communications and protect user data from interception and manipulation.