CVE-2017-9597 in Mobile Banking App
Summary
by MITRE
The "Blue Ridge Bank and Trust Co. Mobile Banking" by Blue Ridge Bank and Trust Co. app 3.0.1 -- aka blue-ridge-bank-and-trust-co-mobile-banking/id699679197 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-2017-9597 affects the Blue Ridge Bank and Trust Co. Mobile Banking application version 3.0.1 for iOS devices, representing a critical security flaw in the mobile banking ecosystem. This vulnerability resides within the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism, specifically failing to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive financial data transmitted between mobile users and banking servers. This flaw directly impacts the fundamental security posture of mobile banking applications, which rely heavily on proper certificate validation to establish trust in network communications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to perform proper certificate chain validation and hostname verification during SSL handshakes. When an iOS device establishes a secure connection to the banking server, the application should validate that the presented certificate is issued by a trusted Certificate Authority, that it has not expired, and that it matches the expected hostname of the banking service. However, the mobile banking app neglects these critical validation steps, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This weakness enables man-in-the-middle attacks where malicious actors can intercept and modify communications without detection, potentially accessing user credentials, account information, and transaction details. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and represents a direct violation of secure coding practices for cryptographic implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass comprehensive financial fraud and identity compromise. Mobile banking applications handle highly sensitive information including account numbers, personal identification details, transaction histories, and authentication credentials, all of which become accessible to attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability. The man-in-the-middle attack vector allows adversaries to not only eavesdrop on communications but also to actively manipulate transactions, redirect funds, and create fraudulent entries in user accounts. Financial institutions face significant reputational damage and regulatory scrutiny when such vulnerabilities are exploited, as they represent a failure to protect customer data and maintain the trust essential to financial services. The attack scenario typically involves an attacker positioned between the user's device and the banking server, intercepting communications and presenting forged certificates that bypass the application's security checks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-9597 require immediate attention from both the application vendor and end users. The primary remediation involves implementing proper SSL/TLS certificate validation within the mobile banking application, ensuring that all X.509 certificates undergo comprehensive verification including chain of trust validation, expiration date checking, and hostname matching. This includes implementing certificate pinning mechanisms where the application maintains a list of trusted certificate fingerprints and verifies that servers present certificates matching these pinned values. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers such as mutual authentication and enhanced logging to detect potential exploitation attempts. From an operational standpoint, users should be advised to avoid conducting sensitive banking activities on untrusted networks and to ensure their devices are updated with the latest security patches. The vulnerability highlights the importance of adhering to industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and NIST guidelines for mobile application security, which emphasize the critical need for proper cryptographic implementation and certificate validation in financial applications. Organizations must also consider the ATT&CK framework implications, particularly the use of techniques such as credential access and defense evasion, which can be facilitated through exploitation of such certificate validation flaws.