CVE-2014-7791 in Backyard Wrestling
Summary
by MITRE
The Backyard Wrestling (aka com.wBackyardWrestling) 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.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7791 affects the Backyard Wrestling Android application version 0.1, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's approach to establishing trusted connections with remote servers, creating significant risks for users who engage with the app's networked features. The vulnerability falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is a well-documented weakness in mobile application security that has been consistently flagged across numerous security assessments and industry standards.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS handshakes, effectively disabling the certificate pinning mechanism that should protect against malicious actors. This omission allows attackers positioned within the network traffic path to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The absence of certificate verification means the app accepts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its authenticity or trust chain, creating an opening for attackers to intercept and potentially manipulate sensitive data transmitted between the mobile device and remote servers. This vulnerability directly corresponds to CWE-295, which addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" through the exploitation of weakened encryption mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive user information, including personal data, login credentials, and potentially financial information if the application handles such data. Mobile applications that fail to properly validate SSL certificates create persistent security risks for users, particularly in environments where network traffic is not fully trusted, such as public Wi-Fi networks or corporate networks that may be compromised. The vulnerability is especially concerning given that the affected application appears to be a casual gaming application, suggesting that users may not expect robust security measures, making them more susceptible to exploitation. Attackers could leverage this weakness to redirect users to malicious servers, inject malicious content, or capture session tokens and other sensitive information that could be used for identity theft or further attacks on the user's account.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques that verify the authenticity of server certificates against trusted certificate authorities or implement strict certificate validation routines that check certificate chains, expiration dates, and subject alternative names. The application should be updated to include proper SSL/TLS certificate verification routines that enforce certificate trust chains and reject untrusted or self-signed certificates. Additionally, security updates should be deployed immediately to address the vulnerability, and the application should be re-evaluated to ensure that all network communications are properly secured. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider deploying additional security controls such as network segmentation and traffic inspection to protect against man-in-the-middle attacks targeting vulnerable applications. This remediation effort aligns with industry best practices outlined in OWASP Mobile Top 10 and NIST guidelines for mobile application security, which emphasize the critical importance of secure communication protocols in protecting mobile applications from network-based attacks.