CVE-2018-15752 in MensaMax
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in the MensaMax (aka com.breustedt.mensamax) application 4.3 for Android. Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information allows man-in-the-middle attackers to eavesdrop authentication information between the application and the server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15752 resides within the MensaMax Android application version 4.3, specifically manifesting as a critical weakness in data transmission security. This issue represents a fundamental failure in implementing secure communication protocols, creating an exploitable vector that directly compromises user authentication data integrity. The application's failure to encrypt sensitive information during transit creates an environment where malicious actors can intercept and potentially manipulate authentication credentials, undermining the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions.
This vulnerability falls under the category of cleartext transmission of sensitive information, which is formally categorized as CWE-319 by the Common Weakness Enumeration system. The flaw represents a direct violation of secure communication standards and best practices established by industry frameworks such as NIST SP 800-52 and OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines. The application's inability to establish encrypted connections with its backend services creates a man-in-the-middle attack surface that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through network interception.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as authentication information intercepted through cleartext transmission can be leveraged for unauthorized access to user accounts and potentially compromise entire user sessions. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can capture authentication tokens, session identifiers, and other sensitive data without requiring sophisticated techniques, making this a particularly dangerous flaw for applications handling user credentials. The vulnerability affects the application's ability to maintain secure communication channels, creating persistent risks for all users who authenticate through the affected version.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must focus on implementing proper encryption protocols throughout the application's communication stack. The most effective remediation involves transitioning from cleartext protocols to secure alternatives such as TLS 1.2 or higher for all network communications, particularly authentication flows. Network administrators should implement certificate pinning mechanisms to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, while developers must ensure that all sensitive data transmission occurs over encrypted channels. Additionally, the application should enforce secure communication policies that reject cleartext connections and implement proper certificate validation to prevent downgrade attacks. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future updates, aligning with the principles outlined in ISO/IEC 27001 and NIST cybersecurity frameworks for secure software development practices.