CVE-2014-7725 in Rally Albania Live 2014
Summary
by MITRE
The Rally Albania Live 2014 (aka com.wRallyAlbaniaLIVE2014) application 0.11 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 • 10/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7725 affects the Rally Albania Live 2014 Android application version 0.11, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue manifests as a failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant pathway for malicious actors to compromise the application's security posture. The vulnerability resides within the application's network communication layer where it neglects to perform essential certificate verification procedures that are fundamental to establishing trust in secure communications.
The technical flaw stems from the application's improper handling of SSL certificate validation, specifically the absence of certificate chain validation and trust anchor verification. When the application establishes connections to remote servers, it fails to verify the certificate's authenticity through the certificate authority hierarchy, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This weakness directly violates established security practices for secure socket layer implementation and represents a clear violation of the principle of certificate validation that forms the foundation of SSL/TLS security. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and demonstrates a failure to implement proper certificate pinning or trust verification mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise sensitive user information and system integrity. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers, potentially gaining access to user credentials, personal data, financial information, or other sensitive content transmitted through the application. The vulnerability creates a persistent security risk that affects all users of the application, particularly those accessing the application over untrusted networks such as public wi-fi or cellular data connections. This flaw undermines the fundamental security guarantees that users expect from mobile applications that handle sensitive information, potentially leading to identity theft, financial fraud, or corporate espionage if the application processes any form of user authentication or sensitive data transmission.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning techniques that validate certificate fingerprints against known good certificates, establishing proper certificate chain validation procedures, and ensuring the application maintains an up-to-date trust store with valid certificate authorities. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as hostname verification and regular security audits of network communication components. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following established security frameworks and guidelines such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, which emphasizes the critical need for proper certificate handling in mobile applications. The remediation process should include comprehensive code review of all network communication components and implementation of automated testing procedures to verify certificate validation functionality. Additionally, security-conscious developers should reference ATT&CK framework techniques related to credential access and defense evasion to understand how such vulnerabilities might be exploited in real-world scenarios. The vulnerability serves as a prime example of why mobile application security must prioritize secure communication protocols and why organizations should implement continuous security monitoring and code review processes to prevent similar issues from occurring in future releases.