CVE-2014-7789 in Zillion Muslims
Summary
by MITRE
The Zillion Muslims (aka com.zillionmuslims.src) application 1.1 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-2014-7789 affects the Zillion Muslims Android application version 1.1, specifically targeting the application's handling of secure communication protocols. This represents a critical security flaw in the mobile application's implementation of transport layer security mechanisms. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant weakness that undermines the fundamental security assurances typically provided by secure communication channels.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's certificate verification process where it does not perform proper validation of SSL server certificates. This failure allows malicious actors to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the application. The vulnerability stems from inadequate implementation of certificate pinning or certificate validation routines that should normally ensure the authenticity of SSL endpoints. According to CWE standards, this corresponds to CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation, and the weakness directly enables the exploitation patterns described in ATT&CK technique T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential access through spoofed communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it exposes users to potential data interception and theft. Attackers can exploit this weakness to eavesdrop on communications between the mobile application and its backend servers, potentially capturing sensitive user information, authentication credentials, or personal data transmitted through the insecure connection. The vulnerability affects not only the confidentiality of communications but also the integrity of the application's data exchange processes. Users who rely on the application for accessing religious content or community features face risks of their personal information being compromised through these unauthorized interception attempts.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers must ensure that the application validates SSL certificates against trusted certificate authorities and implements certificate pinning where appropriate to prevent the acceptance of fraudulent certificates. The fix should include robust error handling for certificate validation failures and proper logging of security events. Security updates should be deployed immediately to address the vulnerability, and the application should be reviewed for similar certificate validation issues in other network communications. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and detection capabilities to identify potential exploitation attempts of this vulnerability in their mobile application environments.