CVE-2017-8060 in Mobile Security
Summary
by MITRE
Acceptance of invalid/self-signed TLS certificates in "Panda Mobile Security" 1.1 for iOS allows a man-in-the-middle and/or physically proximate attacker to silently intercept information sent during the login API call.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8060 affects Panda Mobile Security version 1.1 for iOS, representing a critical security flaw in the application's handling of Transport Layer Security certificates. This issue manifests as an insecure certificate validation mechanism that permits the acceptance of invalid or self-signed certificates during network communications. The flaw specifically impacts the login API call functionality, creating a significant attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly implement certificate pinning or validation checks, allowing unauthorized parties to establish fraudulent secure connections with the mobile application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's trust model for SSL/TLS connections, where it does not adequately verify the authenticity of server certificates presented during the authentication process. When the mobile security application establishes a connection to its backend services for login operations, it accepts any certificate without proper validation against trusted certificate authorities. This behavior violates fundamental security principles outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and aligns with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation. The flaw essentially creates a trust boundary that can be easily compromised, as the application's certificate validation logic fails to perform the necessary checks that would normally prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, particularly in the context of mobile security applications that handle sensitive user authentication data. An attacker positioned within network proximity or capable of intercepting network traffic can silently establish a secure-looking connection to the application's backend services, effectively becoming a transparent proxy for user communications. During the login API call process, all transmitted credentials and sensitive information would be accessible to the attacker without detection. This vulnerability directly maps to attack patterns described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through man-in-the-middle techniques. The implications extend beyond simple data interception, as this could enable session hijacking, account takeover, and broader compromise of user security contexts within the mobile application ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate implementation flaws and establish robust security practices for future mobile application development. The primary recommendation involves implementing proper certificate pinning mechanisms that validate server certificates against known good certificates or public key fingerprints, thereby preventing the acceptance of invalid certificates. Additionally, developers should enforce certificate chain validation using established trust stores and implement certificate transparency checks. Security architects should consider implementing certificate revocation checking and establish monitoring for unauthorized certificate changes. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following mobile security best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project Top 10, particularly M3 for insecure communication and M7 for client-side injection. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments of mobile applications and implement automated certificate validation testing as part of their continuous integration security processes to prevent similar issues from arising in future releases.