CVE-2014-7767 in Yunlai
Summary
by MITRE
The A+ (aka cn.xrzcm) application 1.0.1 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-2014-7767 affects the A+ application version 1.0.1 for Android devices, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communications. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability specifically impacts the certificate verification process, which is fundamental to establishing trust in secure network communications and preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation and trust verification when establishing secure connections to remote servers. This weakness allows attackers to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged SSL certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The application's lack of certificate pinning and insufficient validation mechanisms means it cannot distinguish between authentic certificates issued by trusted Certificate Authorities and maliciously crafted certificates designed to deceive the client. This failure directly violates established security protocols and best practices for secure communication implementation, as outlined in industry standards such as CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it enables attackers to intercept and potentially modify communications between the Android application and remote servers. Users of the A+ application become vulnerable to various attack vectors including credential theft, data exfiltration, and session hijacking, particularly when the application handles sensitive information such as personal data, financial transactions, or confidential communications. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where users connect to untrusted networks or when the application processes sensitive transactions, as attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to user accounts and personal information. This represents a direct violation of the principle of secure communication and undermines the fundamental security model that users expect from mobile applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Security experts recommend implementing certificate pinning to ensure that the application only accepts certificates from specific trusted authorities or specific certificate fingerprints. The application should also enforce strict certificate chain validation, including verification of certificate expiration dates, proper certificate hierarchy, and validation against trusted root certificates. Additionally, developers should implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures and ensure that the application terminates connections when certificate validation fails rather than proceeding with potentially compromised communications. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential access through phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks, emphasizing the need for robust certificate validation as a preventive security control. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures to address potential breaches resulting from this vulnerability.