CVE-2017-9572 in Mobile Banking App
Summary
by MITRE
The athens-state-bank-mobile-banking/id719748589 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-2017-9572 affects the athens-state-bank-mobile-banking application version 3.0.0 for iOS platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile banking ecosystem. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS communications, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data and financial transactions. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification mechanism that should ensure secure communication channels between mobile banking clients and backend servers.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate validation process within the application's secure communication stack, allowing attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates to users. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles of secure communication and authentication, as outlined in the CWE-295 category for improper certificate validation. The application's failure to implement proper certificate pinning or chain of trust validation means that any certificate presented by a malicious server can be accepted without proper scrutiny, effectively bypassing the entire SSL/TLS security framework designed to protect sensitive financial data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to not only monitor but also manipulate financial transactions and access user credentials. Mobile banking applications handle highly sensitive information including account numbers, transaction histories, and personal identification data, making them prime targets for financial fraud. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that allows attackers to establish false trust relationships with users, potentially leading to unauthorized fund transfers, identity theft, and comprehensive account compromise. This weakness particularly affects the confidentiality and integrity aspects of the CIA triad, as attackers can both read and modify sensitive communications without detection.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including certificate pinning mechanisms, proper certificate validation routines, and comprehensive security testing of mobile applications before deployment. The remediation process should involve thorough code review and implementation of industry-standard secure coding practices that align with NIST SP 800-52 guidelines for certificate management. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities across the mobile application portfolio. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1046 Network Service Scanning and T1566 Phishing, as attackers can exploit the insecure communication channel to establish persistent access to banking systems and conduct sophisticated financial fraud operations.