CVE-2017-8939 in ellentube App
Summary
by MITRE
The Warner Bros. ellentube app 3.1.1 through 3.1.3 for iOS does not verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information via a crafted certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8939 affects the Warner Bros. ellentube mobile application version 3.1.1 through 3.1.3 on iOS platforms. This represents a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols that directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of user data transmitted between the mobile client and remote servers. The issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS handshakes, creating an exploitable weakness that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by Transport Layer Security.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate verification mechanisms within the application's network communication stack. When the ellentube app establishes connections to remote servers, it does not perform the necessary validation steps that should confirm the authenticity of server certificates against trusted certificate authorities. This omission creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where malicious actors can intercept communications and present fraudulent certificates that the application will accept without proper scrutiny. The vulnerability specifically targets the SSL/TLS certificate validation process, which is a core component of secure network communications as defined by industry standards and security protocols.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to significant risks including credential theft, data interception, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers and capture user data, session tokens, or personal information transmitted through the application. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to potentially compromise enterprise security if the application is used in business environments. This flaw directly violates the principles of secure communication established by the OWASP Top Ten security risks and represents a failure to implement proper certificate pinning or validation as outlined in the CWE-295 category for improper certificate validation.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through phishing or man-in-the-middle attacks. Organizations relying on the ellentube application for content delivery face potential exposure to sophisticated attack vectors that could lead to data breaches and regulatory compliance violations. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple patch versions indicates a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture rather than a simple configuration issue.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms, including certificate pinning to prevent the acceptance of fraudulent certificates. Security teams should deploy network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Application developers must implement robust SSL/TLS certificate validation routines that verify certificate chains against trusted root authorities and implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures. Organizations should also consider deploying network segmentation and intrusion detection systems to monitor for potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process requires comprehensive code review and security testing to ensure that all network communication components properly validate SSL/TLS certificates according to industry best practices and security standards established by NIST and other cybersecurity frameworks.