CVE-2017-9570 in Trust Mobile Banking App
Summary
by MITRE
The mount-vernon-bank-trust-mobile-banking/id542706679 app 3.0.0 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 • 10/18/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-9570 affects the mount-vernon-bank-trust-mobile-banking iOS application version 3.0.0, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile banking ecosystem. This issue stems from improper implementation of SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanisms within the application's secure communication framework. The flaw creates a significant attack surface that exposes users to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks, where malicious actors can intercept and manipulate sensitive financial data transmitted between the mobile application and backend servers. The vulnerability directly impacts the fundamental security principle of certificate pinning and trust validation that should be implemented in all mobile banking applications to maintain data integrity and user confidentiality.
The technical implementation flaw manifests as the application's complete absence of X.509 certificate validation during SSL/TLS handshakes. This means that the mobile banking application accepts any certificate presented by a server without performing the necessary cryptographic verification steps that should confirm certificate authenticity, issuer legitimacy, and chain of trust. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a failure in the application's secure communication protocols. The absence of certificate pinning or validation creates a scenario where attackers can generate or obtain fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, effectively bypassing all intended security measures designed to protect financial transactions and personal data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the trust model that mobile banking applications must maintain with their users. Financial institutions relying on this application expose their customers to potential theft of login credentials, account details, transaction information, and other sensitive personal financial data. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to create fraudulent server endpoints that appear legitimate to users, enabling them to capture banking session data, modify transactions, or redirect funds without detection. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates at the transport layer security level, making it difficult for users to detect unauthorized interception of their communications. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1046, which describes network service scanning, and T1566, which covers credential harvesting through social engineering or direct attacks on authentication mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-9570 require immediate remediation of the certificate validation implementation within the mobile banking application. Organizations must implement proper certificate pinning mechanisms that validate server certificates against known good certificates or certificate authorities, ensuring that only trusted certificates are accepted for secure communications. The application should enforce strict certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate signatures, and ensuring certificates are issued by trusted certificate authorities. Additionally, implementing certificate transparency mechanisms and regular security audits of the application's cryptographic implementation can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases. The fix should align with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and OWASP Mobile Top 10 recommendations for secure communication in mobile applications. Regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to ensure that all secure communication channels maintain proper certificate validation mechanisms and that the application does not inadvertently introduce new attack vectors through improper cryptographic implementation.