CVE-2014-7780 in Pakistan Cricket News
Summary
by MITRE
The Pakistan Cricket News (aka com.conduit.app_cf18df8bdf454eb0a836e2d29886bc40.app) application 1.21.38.6504 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-2014-7780 represents a critical security flaw in the Pakistan Cricket News Android application version 1.21.38.6504. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS communications, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity. The application's insecure implementation of certificate verification directly violates fundamental security principles that govern secure communication protocols, particularly those essential for protecting sensitive user information transmitted over network connections. This weakness places users at risk of exposure to various cyber threats that target the confidentiality and authenticity of network communications.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS implementation. When the application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it fails to perform the necessary cryptographic verification steps that would normally confirm the server's identity through trusted certificate authorities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and represents a classic example of weak cryptographic implementation that undermines the entire security architecture. The absence of proper certificate pinning or validation creates an environment where attackers can successfully perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that the application accepts without question.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass comprehensive information disclosure and potential system compromise. Attackers can exploit this weakness to establish fraudulent connections with the application's servers, enabling them to capture sensitive user data including personal information, login credentials, and potentially financial details transmitted through the vulnerable application. The attack vector requires minimal sophistication as the vulnerability exists in the application's core security implementation rather than requiring complex exploitation techniques. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by threat actors with varying skill levels to conduct widespread surveillance and data theft operations. The vulnerability affects all users of the application who engage in network communications, creating a systemic risk that impacts the entire user base.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS stack. The recommended approach involves implementing strict certificate pinning techniques that validate server certificates against known good certificates or certificate authorities, ensuring that only trusted cryptographic identities are accepted. Security updates should incorporate comprehensive certificate validation routines that verify certificate chains, check expiration dates, and validate domain names against certificate subject fields. Organizations should also implement certificate transparency monitoring and consider adopting industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project recommendations for secure mobile application development. Additionally, the application should be updated to use modern cryptographic libraries that properly implement certificate validation and include mechanisms for handling certificate revocation and trust verification. These measures directly address the root cause of the vulnerability and provide defense-in-depth protection against similar issues in future implementations.