CVE-2014-7762 in Bite It!
Summary
by MITRE
The Bite it! (aka com.ASA1Touch.Bite_it) application 1.1.8 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 • 10/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7762 affects the Bite it! Android application version 1.1.8, specifically targeting the application's handling of secure communications through the Transport Layer Security protocol. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that fundamentally undermines the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, creating a pathway for malicious actors to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS handshakes, which are essential cryptographic components that verify server identity and establish secure communication channels.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the application's lack of proper certificate verification mechanisms, allowing it to accept any certificate presented by a server without validating its authenticity through trusted certificate authorities. This weakness creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where an attacker positioned between the user and the server can present a malicious certificate that appears legitimate to the vulnerable application. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" through compromised communication channels. The application's failure to implement proper certificate pinning or validation procedures means that all sensitive data transmitted through the application could potentially be intercepted, modified, or redirected by malicious actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass complete compromise of user trust and data integrity within the application's communication ecosystem. Users of the Bite it! application may unknowingly transmit sensitive information to attacker-controlled servers, believing they are communicating with legitimate services. This vulnerability affects all communication channels within the application that rely on SSL/TLS encryption, potentially exposing user credentials, personal information, and any other data transmitted through the vulnerable network connections. The implications are particularly severe given that the application's name suggests it may handle sensitive user data or financial information, making the lack of certificate validation a critical exposure point that could lead to identity theft, financial fraud, or other serious consequences.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation procedures within the application's network communication layer. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning mechanisms that verify server certificates against known good certificates or public keys, ensuring that the application only accepts connections from legitimate servers. Security updates should include proper implementation of certificate chain validation, including checks for certificate expiration, proper certificate authority trust, and validation of certificate subject names against expected server identities. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate transparency monitoring and regular security audits of their mobile applications to identify similar vulnerabilities. This remediation aligns with industry best practices outlined in OWASP Mobile Top 10 and NIST SP 800-53 security guidelines, which emphasize the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation and certificate validation in mobile applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper security controls during application development rather than addressing issues post-release through patches.