CVE-2016-5648 in Portal App
Summary
by MITRE
Acer Portal app before 3.9.4.2000 for Android does not properly validate SSL certificates, which allows remote attackers to perform a Man-in-the-middle attack via a crafted SSL certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5648 affects the Acer Portal app version 3.9.4.2000 and earlier on Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL certificate validation mechanism. This weakness creates a significant exposure in the communication security between the mobile application and its remote servers, fundamentally undermining the integrity of encrypted data transmission. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate validation process that should ensure secure communication channels, leaving users susceptible to sophisticated cyber attacks that exploit this critical gap.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's improper handling of SSL/TLS certificate validation procedures, which should normally verify the authenticity and trustworthiness of server certificates before establishing secure connections. When the app fails to properly validate these certificates, it accepts potentially malicious certificates presented by attackers during the handshake process. This failure directly violates fundamental security principles of secure communication protocols and creates an environment where attackers can intercept and manipulate data transmitted between the mobile application and its backend services. The vulnerability operates at the core of the application's security infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous as it affects the very foundation of encrypted communication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise user data, session tokens, and sensitive information transmitted through the application. Attackers can exploit this weakness to eavesdrop on communications, inject malicious content, modify data in transit, or even impersonate legitimate services to gain unauthorized access to user accounts and personal information. The vulnerability affects users of Acer Portal app across various Android devices, creating a widespread security risk that could potentially lead to identity theft, financial fraud, and corporate data breaches. Organizations relying on this application for business operations face significant exposure to cyber threats that could compromise their entire digital infrastructure.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1046, representing the use of man-in-the-middle attacks for information gathering and system compromise. The flaw demonstrates poor implementation of certificate pinning mechanisms and inadequate validation of certificate authorities, creating opportunities for attackers to leverage trusted certificate authorities or even create their own fraudulent certificates that the application would accept. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched version 3.9.4.2000, implementing network-level monitoring for suspicious certificate behavior, and considering the deployment of additional security controls such as certificate transparency monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of proper certificate validation in mobile applications and serves as a reminder of the need for robust security testing and continuous monitoring of security controls in enterprise mobile solutions.