CVE-2017-9581 in Mobile Banking App
Summary
by MITRE
The "Algonquin State Bank Mobile Banking" by Algonquin State Bank app 3.0.0 -- aka algonquin-state-bank-mobile-banking/id1089657735 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 CVE-2017-9581 vulnerability affects the Algonquin State Bank Mobile Banking iOS application version 3.0.0, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile banking ecosystem. This vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS communications, creating a significant attack surface that compromises the integrity of sensitive financial transactions. The flaw specifically impacts the certificate verification process, which is fundamental to establishing secure communications between mobile banking clients and backend servers. Mobile banking applications require robust certificate validation mechanisms to prevent attackers from intercepting or manipulating financial data during transmission.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic failure in secure communication protocols where the application accepts any certificate presented by the server without proper validation against trusted certificate authorities. This weak implementation allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting maliciously crafted certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The absence of certificate pinning or proper certificate chain validation creates an environment where attackers can establish fraudulent connections while maintaining the appearance of legitimate banking communications. This vulnerability directly violates industry standards for secure mobile application development and exposes users to potential financial fraud and data theft.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the trust model that mobile banking applications rely upon for secure financial transactions. Attackers exploiting this flaw can capture sensitive user credentials, account information, transaction details, and other confidential data transmitted through the mobile banking application. The vulnerability affects all users of the specific iOS application version, potentially exposing thousands of financial accounts to unauthorized access. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which involves network service scanning and exploitation of weak security implementations, and CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols. 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 banking communications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must include immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms, including certificate pinning and chain validation against trusted authorities. Organizations should deploy certificate transparency monitoring and implement robust certificate management processes to prevent unauthorized certificate issuance. The application should be updated to enforce strict certificate validation procedures, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate signatures against trusted root authorities, and implementing certificate revocation checking. Security hardening measures should include regular security assessments of mobile applications, implementation of secure coding practices, and adherence to industry standards such as NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of mobile banking security and the importance of keeping applications updated to protect against known vulnerabilities. The vulnerability represents a failure in the principle of least privilege and secure by design implementation, as the application should have automatically rejected untrusted certificates without exception.