CVE-2014-7788 in Best Free Giveaways
Summary
by MITRE
The Best Free Giveaways (aka com.wIphone5GiveAways) application 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 • 10/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7788 affects the Best Free Giveaways Android application version 0.1, specifically targeting the application's secure communication implementation. This represents a critical security flaw in the mobile application's cryptographic certificate validation mechanism, where the application fails to properly verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers during secure connections. The absence of proper certificate verification creates a significant attack vector that compromises the integrity of the application's communication channels.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's failure to implement proper SSL certificate validation procedures, which is a fundamental security requirement for any mobile application handling sensitive data over network connections. When an application does not verify X.509 certificates, it essentially trusts any certificate presented by a server without performing the necessary checks against trusted certificate authorities or validating certificate properties such as validity periods, subject names, and cryptographic signatures. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses the improper certificate validation issue in security protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it enables man-in-the-middle attackers to successfully impersonate legitimate servers and establish fraudulent communication channels with the vulnerable application. Attackers can craft malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the application, allowing them to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the mobile device and servers. This compromise affects any data that flows through the application's network connections, including user credentials, personal information, and potentially financial data if the application handles such information. The vulnerability essentially undermines the entire purpose of implementing SSL/TLS encryption in the first place.
From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several tactics described in the ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to credential access and defense evasion. The ability to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information through crafted certificates represents a classic man-in-the-middle attack pattern that can be executed without requiring sophisticated technical skills. The vulnerability affects the application's confidentiality and integrity properties, as attackers can both read sensitive communications and modify data in transit. The attack surface extends beyond the immediate application to potentially compromise user accounts and data across multiple services if the application collects or transmits authentication tokens or other sensitive identifiers.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability involve implementing proper SSL certificate verification mechanisms within the application, including validation against trusted certificate authorities, checking certificate expiration dates, and ensuring certificate chain validation. Developers should utilize established security libraries and frameworks that properly implement certificate validation rather than implementing custom solutions that may introduce additional vulnerabilities. Additionally, the application should be updated to enforce certificate pinning where appropriate, and all network communications should be secured using properly configured SSL/TLS implementations. The fix should align with industry best practices for mobile application security and comply with standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, which emphasizes the importance of secure network communication in mobile applications.