CVE-2014-7735 in Dr. Sheikh Adnan Ibrahim
Summary
by MITRE
The Dr. Sheikh Adnan Ibrahim (aka com.amitaff.adnanIbrahim) application 1.0 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 • 10/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7735 affects the Dr. Sheikh Adnan Ibrahim Android application version 1.0, specifically targeting its cryptographic security implementation. This represents a critical flaw in the application's secure communication protocol that undermines the fundamental principles of transport layer security. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant security gap that exposes users to various cyber threats. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper certificate verification, which is classified as CWE-295 in the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, specifically addressing issues related to certificate validation and trust management.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation and hostname verification during secure communications. When an Android application establishes SSL connections, it should verify that the server's certificate is issued by a trusted Certificate Authority and that the certificate's subject matches the target server's hostname. The absence of this verification process allows attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This weakness enables man-in-the-middle attacks where adversaries can intercept and manipulate communications between the mobile application and backend servers, potentially gaining access to sensitive user data, authentication credentials, or proprietary information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of all communications within the application. Mobile applications that rely on secure connections for user authentication, data synchronization, or medical information handling become particularly vulnerable when such certificate verification is bypassed. Attackers can exploit this weakness to redirect traffic through malicious servers, inject malicious content, or harvest session tokens and personal health information. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in healthcare applications where patient privacy and data protection are paramount, as it directly violates the security principles outlined in HIPAA regulations and similar healthcare data protection standards.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques to ensure that only specific certificates or certificate authorities are accepted, thereby preventing the acceptance of fraudulent certificates. Additionally, the application must enforce strict hostname verification and implement proper certificate chain validation procedures. Security professionals should also consider implementing certificate transparency checks and regularly updating the application's trusted certificate store. This vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential access through social engineering, as attackers can exploit this weakness to establish persistent access to sensitive information. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments and implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and ensure compliance with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO/IEC 27001 for secure application development practices.