CVE-2014-7757 in Awful Ninja Game
Summary
by MITRE
The Awful Ninja Game (aka com.absolutelyawfulapplications.awfulninjagame) application 1.0.23 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-2014-7757 affects the Awful Ninja Game Android application version 1.0.23, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector that compromises the integrity of network communications. The vulnerability falls under the category of weak cryptographic implementation and certificate validation failures, which are systematically documented in CWE-295 as "Improper Certificate Validation" and align with ATT&CK technique T1041 for data encryption and T1566 for credential access through man-in-the-middle attacks.
The technical flaw manifests when the application establishes connections to remote servers using SSL/TLS protocols without performing proper certificate verification. This omission allows malicious actors to intercept communications between the mobile application and its backend services by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the unverified client. The application's trust model becomes fundamentally compromised, as it accepts any certificate presented by a server without validating the certificate chain, checking expiration dates, or verifying the certificate authority. This weakness enables attackers to create a fake server that presents a malicious certificate, thereby establishing a man-in-the-middle position where they can decrypt, modify, or steal sensitive data transmitted between the application and legitimate servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete compromise of user privacy and application security. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for user authentication, payment processing, or personal data handling become particularly vulnerable when they fail to validate SSL certificates. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept user credentials, session tokens, personal information, and financial data transmitted through the application. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security assurances that users expect from mobile applications, undermining trust in the application's ability to protect sensitive information. This weakness is especially concerning in applications that handle user accounts, personal data, or financial transactions, as it provides attackers with direct access to user credentials and sensitive data without requiring sophisticated attack techniques.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS implementation. Developers should enforce strict certificate validation procedures including certificate chain verification, expiration date checking, and proper hostname validation to prevent certificate spoofing attacks. The application should implement certificate pinning to ensure that only specific certificates or certificate authorities are accepted, preventing attackers from using fraudulent certificates even if they can intercept communications. Security best practices recommend following industry standards such as those outlined in OWASP Mobile Top 10 and NIST guidelines for mobile application security. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior and establish secure coding practices that prioritize cryptographic security in mobile application development. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications and ensure that certificate validation mechanisms remain effective against evolving attack techniques.