CVE-2017-12697 in OnStar SOS iOS Client
Summary
by MITRE
A Man-in-the-Middle issue was discovered in General Motors (GM) and Shanghai OnStar (SOS) SOS iOS Client 7.1. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may allow an attacker to intercept sensitive information when the client connects to the server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12697 represents a critical man-in-the-middle attack vector within the General Motors and Shanghai OnStar SOS iOS client application version 7.1. This security flaw exposes users to significant risks during network communication between their mobile devices and OnStar servers. The vulnerability stems from inadequate cryptographic implementation and certificate validation mechanisms that fail to properly authenticate server identities during the secure communication establishment process. The affected application operates within the automotive telematics domain where emergency services and vehicle diagnostics are transmitted over wireless networks, making this weakness particularly dangerous for user safety and privacy.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the application's failure to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates during the connection establishment phase. This weakness allows attackers positioned within the network traffic path to perform certificate substitution attacks, where malicious intermediaries can present fake certificates to establish seemingly legitimate connections with the mobile client. The vulnerability operates at the transport layer security validation level, specifically targeting the certificate chain validation process that should ensure the authenticity of the server being connected to. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in cryptographic implementation under CWE-310, specifically involving improper certificate validation and trust chain establishment. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which involves network service scanning and T1566 which encompasses credential harvesting through social engineering and network attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass potential compromise of emergency services functionality and personal vehicle information. When users initiate SOS connections through the affected iOS application, their communication channels become vulnerable to eavesdropping and data manipulation. Attackers could intercept sensitive information including vehicle location data, emergency call details, personal identification information, and potentially even vehicle diagnostic data that could be exploited for theft or fraud. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where network traffic passes through untrusted public networks or compromised wireless access points, as these scenarios provide ideal conditions for attackers to execute successful MITM attacks against the vulnerable client application. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of communications, violating fundamental security principles of secure mobile application design.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-12697 require immediate implementation of certificate pinning mechanisms within the iOS application to prevent substitution attacks. Organizations should implement strict certificate validation procedures that go beyond standard trust chain verification to include explicit certificate fingerprint validation. The application should enforce certificate pinning for all communication endpoints, ensuring that only pre-approved certificates are accepted during the connection establishment process. Network administrators should consider implementing additional monitoring and detection capabilities to identify potential MITM activities targeting the affected applications. Security patches and updates should be deployed immediately to address the root cause of the vulnerability, with proper code review processes implemented to prevent similar weaknesses in future development cycles. The remediation approach should align with industry best practices for mobile application security and should include comprehensive testing of certificate validation mechanisms to ensure proper functionality before deployment.