CVE-2015-5655 in Adways Party Track
Summary
by MITRE
The Adways Party Track SDK before 1.6.6 for iOS 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 • 03/09/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5655 affects the Adways Party Track SDK version 1.6.5 and earlier for iOS platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the software development kit's secure communication implementation. This issue stems from the SDK's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant weakness in the cryptographic security infrastructure that mobile applications relying on this SDK would inherit. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation, making it a direct descendant of well-established security weaknesses in certificate-based authentication systems. Mobile applications integrating this SDK become susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks where adversaries can intercept and manipulate communications between the client application and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests when the SDK establishes secure connections to remote servers using SSL/TLS protocols, yet fails to perform proper certificate verification procedures that are fundamental to establishing trust in cryptographic communications. This omission allows attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the SDK, enabling them to masquerade as trusted servers. The vulnerability specifically impacts the certificate validation process by bypassing the necessary checks that would normally verify certificate authenticity, issuer legitimacy, and certificate expiration status. Attackers can exploit this weakness by intercepting network traffic and presenting forged certificates that match the expected domain names, thereby deceiving the SDK into establishing connections with malicious servers instead of legitimate ones.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of applications using the affected SDK. Mobile applications that integrate this SDK become vulnerable to various attack vectors including credential theft, session hijacking, and sensitive data exfiltration. The vulnerability affects not only the direct communication channels but also compromises the integrity of the entire application ecosystem that relies on secure network communications. Organizations using this SDK could face significant consequences including unauthorized access to user data, financial losses, regulatory violations, and reputational damage. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the underlying security infrastructure rather than just specific application functions, making it difficult to remediate without updating the SDK itself.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5655 require immediate action to upgrade to SDK version 1.6.6 or later, which includes proper certificate validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional network security controls such as certificate pinning to prevent the acceptance of unauthorized certificates, even if the SDK is updated. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual certificate behavior or potential man-in-the-middle activities. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041 which describes data compression and T1566 which covers credential access through social engineering, indicating that attackers could leverage this vulnerability for broader exploitation campaigns. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to ensure that all third-party SDKs and libraries in mobile applications maintain proper security implementations. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and traffic inspection to detect and prevent unauthorized certificate usage within their environments.