CVE-2017-13108 in DFNDR Security
Summary
by MITRE
DFNDR Security Antivirus, Anti-hacking & Cleaner, 5.0.9, 2017-11-01, Android application uses a hard-coded key for encryption. Data stored using this key can be decrypted by anyone able to access this key.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13108 affects DFNDR Security Antivirus, Anti-hacking & Cleaner version 5.0.9 for Android platforms. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's cryptographic implementation where a hard-coded encryption key is embedded within the software binary. The presence of such a hard-coded key fundamentally undermines the security posture of the application and creates a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise sensitive data.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the application's failure to properly manage cryptographic keys during the encryption process. According to CWE-327, this vulnerability aligns with the weakness of using broken or weak cryptographic algorithms, specifically manifesting as the use of hard-coded keys that violate fundamental security principles. The encryption key is embedded directly within the application code, making it accessible to anyone who can decompile or analyze the application binary. This approach directly violates the principle of key separation and secure key management practices that are essential for maintaining data confidentiality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial and far-reaching for users of the affected application. Any individual with access to the application binary can extract the hard-coded key through reverse engineering techniques, subsequently decrypting all data that was encrypted using this specific key. This creates a scenario where sensitive information stored by the application becomes immediately accessible to malicious actors, potentially including personal data, system configurations, or other confidential information that users expect to be protected. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad, as data that should remain encrypted and protected becomes trivially accessible.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extends beyond simple reverse engineering, as the hard-coded key can be discovered through various methods including static analysis, dynamic analysis, or even manual inspection of the application's resources. Attackers leveraging the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059.006 for execution through command and scripting interpreter can potentially use this information to perform more sophisticated attacks against the system. The vulnerability also relates to T1552.004 for unsecured credentials, as the hard-coded key serves as a credential that provides unauthorized access to encrypted data. Organizations and users should consider this vulnerability as a critical risk that requires immediate remediation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must include immediate application updates from the vendor that implement proper key management practices, such as using secure key derivation functions or implementing hardware-based key storage mechanisms. The application should be redesigned to avoid hard-coded keys entirely and instead utilize secure key storage solutions such as Android Keystore or similar platform-specific secure storage mechanisms. Additionally, developers should implement proper key rotation policies and ensure that encryption keys are not embedded within application binaries. Users should be advised to avoid using the affected version of the application until proper patches are available and security updates have been deployed to address this fundamental cryptographic weakness.