CVE-2017-9580 in Mobile Banking App
Summary
by MITRE
The "Pioneer Bank & Trust Mobile Banking" by PIONEER BANK AND TRUST app 3.0.0 -- aka pioneer-bank-trust-mobile-banking/id603182861 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 CVE-2017-9580 vulnerability affects the pioneer bank and trust mobile banking application version 3.0.0 for iOS devices, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile banking ecosystem. This vulnerability specifically targets the application's handling of secure communication protocols, particularly the absence of proper SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms. The flaw exists within the mobile banking client's cryptographic security implementation, where the application fails to perform essential certificate verification processes that should occur during secure socket layer connections. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security architecture, as it directly undermines the trust model that secure communications depend upon.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper certificate pinning or validation procedures when establishing secure connections to backend servers. According to CWE-295, this constitutes a weakness in certificate validation, specifically a failure to validate certificates against trusted certificate authorities. The vulnerability allows attackers to execute man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged X.509 certificates that appear legitimate to the mobile application. This flaw operates at the transport layer security level, where the application should be enforcing certificate chain validation, hostname verification, and trust anchor validation but fails to do so. The absence of these security controls creates a pathway for attackers to intercept and manipulate sensitive data transmitted between the mobile client and banking servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted within the financial services sector. Mobile banking applications are prime targets for cybercriminals due to the sensitive financial data they handle, including account balances, transaction histories, and personal identification information. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can intercept and modify banking transactions, steal user credentials, and gain unauthorized access to financial accounts. The threat landscape for mobile banking applications aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004, which describes application layer protocol manipulation, specifically targeting secure communication channels. This vulnerability effectively neutralizes the encryption protections that mobile banking applications rely upon, making it possible for attackers to perform session hijacking and credential theft operations that would otherwise be prevented by proper certificate validation.
The implications extend beyond immediate financial theft to include long-term reputational damage and regulatory compliance issues for pioneer bank and trust. Financial institutions must maintain robust security controls to protect customer data and comply with regulations such as pci dss and nist cybersecurity framework. This vulnerability demonstrates a critical gap in the application security testing processes that should have identified the missing certificate validation mechanisms during the development lifecycle. Organizations implementing mobile banking solutions should consider implementing certificate pinning strategies, as outlined in NIST SP 800-52, to prevent such attacks. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper secure coding practices and security testing procedures, particularly for applications handling sensitive financial data, as specified in ISO/IEC 27001 security controls. Remediation efforts should include implementing proper certificate validation, deploying certificate pinning mechanisms, and conducting comprehensive security assessments to prevent similar vulnerabilities in future mobile banking applications.