CVE-2017-5589 in Yaxim
Summary
by MITRE
An incorrect implementation of "XEP-0280: Message Carbons" in multiple XMPP clients allows a remote attacker to impersonate any user, including contacts, in the vulnerable application's display. This allows for various kinds of social engineering attacks. This CVE is for yaxim and Bruno (0.8.6 - 0.8.8; Android).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2017-5589 represents a critical implementation flaw in XMPP clients that adhere to the XEP-0280 Message Carbons specification. This protocol extension is designed to enable message duplication across multiple client sessions, allowing users to receive the same messages on all their devices. However, the improper implementation in yaxim and Bruno versions 0.8.6 through 0.8.8 creates a significant security gap that fundamentally undermines the integrity of message authentication within the XMPP ecosystem.
The technical flaw stems from the clients' failure to properly validate message origins when processing carbon copies. When a malicious attacker sends a specially crafted carbon message, the vulnerable clients accept it without proper verification of the sender's identity. This implementation error creates a scenario where attackers can inject messages that appear to originate from legitimate users, including contacts within the victim's roster. The vulnerability specifically affects the display layer of these applications, meaning that while the underlying message transport mechanisms may function correctly, the user interface becomes compromised.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple message spoofing, creating numerous opportunities for sophisticated social engineering attacks. Attackers can exploit this flaw to impersonate trusted contacts, potentially leading to unauthorized access attempts, phishing campaigns, or the dissemination of false information. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the user interface level, making it difficult for victims to distinguish between legitimate and malicious messages. This type of attack falls under the ATT&CK framework's technique T1566 for social engineering, specifically targeting the manipulation of user trust through deceptive communication.
From a CWE perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and CWE-345, concerning insufficient verification of data integrity. The flaw represents a failure in proper authentication and message integrity verification within the XMPP client implementation. The security implications are particularly severe given that XMPP is widely used for instant messaging in both personal and enterprise environments, making the potential attack surface extensive.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected versions, with developers implementing proper validation of message origins when processing carbon copies. The fix should ensure that clients verify the authenticity of incoming carbon messages through cryptographic means or by maintaining proper session state information. Organizations using these vulnerable applications should consider implementing network-level monitoring to detect anomalous message patterns and establish secure communication protocols that prevent unauthorized message injection. The vulnerability underscores the importance of thorough security testing for protocol implementations, particularly those involving user authentication and message integrity verification in real-time communication systems.