CVE-2017-8942 in Healthy Diet
Summary
by MITRE
The YottaMark ShopWell - Healthy Diet & Grocery Food Scanner app 5.3.7 through 5.4.2 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 • 12/29/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8942 affects the YottaMark ShopWell mobile application version 5.3.7 through 5.4.2 for iOS devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's certificate validation mechanism. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS communications, creating a significant attack surface that exposes users to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish secure communication channels with backend servers, undermining the fundamental security principles of encrypted data transmission.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's improper implementation of SSL certificate validation routines, specifically failing to perform certificate chain verification and trust anchor validation. This weakness allows attackers to present maliciously crafted certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, enabling them to intercept and manipulate encrypted communications between the mobile client and server infrastructure. The vulnerability falls under CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a direct violation of secure communication protocols that should be enforced by all mobile applications handling sensitive user data. The absence of proper certificate pinning and validation mechanisms creates a pathway for attackers to establish fraudulent connections while maintaining the illusion of legitimate server communication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive surveillance and data manipulation capabilities for threat actors. Attackers can exploit this weakness to capture sensitive user information including personal health data, dietary preferences, grocery lists, and potentially financial information processed through the application. The vulnerability is particularly concerning given the nature of the application, which deals with personal health and dietary information that could be leveraged for identity theft, targeted advertising, or more sinister purposes. This flaw directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which describes data from network connections, and represents a critical failure in the application's security posture that could result in widespread data compromise across all users of the affected versions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms, including certificate pinning, trust anchor verification, and robust certificate chain validation routines. Mobile application developers should implement strict certificate validation procedures that verify certificate signatures against trusted certificate authorities and maintain up-to-date certificate stores. The application should enforce certificate pinning to ensure that only specific certificates or certificate authorities are accepted, preventing attackers from using fraudulent certificates. Additionally, developers must ensure that the application performs comprehensive certificate validation including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate subject names, and ensuring proper certificate chain validation. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous certificate behavior and establish proper incident response procedures for handling potential certificate compromise events. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining robust cryptographic practices in mobile applications and serves as a reminder that secure communication protocols must be implemented with proper validation mechanisms to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.