CVE-2015-9232 in Good Technology
Summary
by MITRE
The Good for Enterprise application 3.0.0.415 for Android does not use signature protection for its Authentication Delegation API intent. Also, the Good Dynamic application activation process does not attempt to detect malicious activation attempts involving modified names beginning with a com.good.gdgma substring. Consequently, an attacker could obtain access to intranet data. This issue is only relevant in cases where the user has already downloaded a malicious Android application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/18/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-9232 represents a critical security flaw in the Good for Enterprise mobile application version 3.0.0.415 for Android platforms. This weakness stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the application's architecture, specifically affecting its Authentication Delegation API intent functionality. The vulnerability creates a pathway for unauthorized access to corporate intranet resources through improper signature verification processes that should normally protect sensitive application interfaces.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in two primary areas that compound the security risk. First, the Authentication Delegation API intent lacks proper signature protection mechanisms, meaning that any malicious application could potentially invoke this interface without proper authorization. This represents a direct violation of secure coding practices and application security principles that mandate strict authentication and authorization controls for sensitive API endpoints. Second, the Good Dynamic application activation process fails to properly validate application names during the activation sequence, particularly those that begin with the com.good.gdgma substring but have been modified maliciously. This design oversight creates a false sense of security where legitimate application validation is bypassed through simple name manipulation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple technical exploitation to represent a significant enterprise security risk. Attackers can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to corporate intranet data without requiring additional privileges or complex attack vectors. The vulnerability requires only that a user has already installed a malicious application on their device, which represents a common attack vector through social engineering, compromised app stores, or other delivery mechanisms. This makes the attack surface particularly concerning as it exploits the trust relationship between the mobile application and the enterprise network infrastructure. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, involving exploit for privilege escalation through application interface manipulation.
Organizations utilizing Good for Enterprise solutions must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves updating to a patched version of the application that properly implements signature verification for API intents and strengthens the application activation process. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious application installation patterns and unauthorized network access attempts. Security teams should conduct thorough risk assessments to identify potentially compromised endpoints and establish network segmentation controls to limit the lateral movement capabilities of attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability. The remediation process should include comprehensive user education about application installation practices and the dangers of installing applications from untrusted sources.