CVE-2018-18975 in Contour NEXT ONE App
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in the Ascensia Contour NEXT ONE app for iOS before 2019-01-15. An attacker may proxy communications between the app and Ascensia backend servers because of a weak certificate-pinning implementation, leading to disclosure of medical information.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18975 affects the Ascensia Contour NEXT ONE mobile application for iOS devices, specifically prior to the January 15, 2019 update. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's network communication security mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to intercept and access sensitive medical data. The issue stems from an inadequate implementation of certificate pinning, which is a security technique designed to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks by ensuring that applications only communicate with specific, trusted servers. Certificate pinning works by embedding specific certificate fingerprints within the application code, requiring the app to validate that communications are directed to servers presenting those exact certificates. When this mechanism is weak or improperly implemented, it allows attackers to substitute their own certificates and establish fraudulent connections to the backend servers.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates during network communications, creating a scenario where attackers can position themselves between the mobile application and the legitimate backend servers. This proxy capability enables unauthorized parties to eavesdrop on all communications, including sensitive patient data, medical records, and potentially personal health information. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a failure in the application's secure communication implementation. Attackers exploiting this weakness could potentially access blood glucose monitoring data, user account information, and other personal medical details that would typically be protected by end-to-end encryption and secure server communication protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally compromises the security and privacy assurances that patients expect from medical device applications. Healthcare applications must maintain strict confidentiality standards, and the exposure of medical information through such a vulnerability could lead to serious privacy violations, identity theft, and potential medical fraud. The compromised communications could enable attackers to not only read transmitted data but potentially manipulate it, altering patient records or medical device settings that could pose direct health risks. This vulnerability particularly affects the integrity of the medical data lifecycle, as it undermines the trust model between patients and healthcare providers by creating an attack vector that could be exploited to access sensitive medical information. The weakness in certificate pinning implementation creates a persistent security gap that could be exploited by sophisticated adversaries with network access to the affected devices.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating the application to the patched version released on January 15, 2019, which would contain proper certificate pinning implementation. Security teams should also consider network-based monitoring solutions to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate man-in-the-middle attacks, while healthcare providers should review their data protection policies and ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper certificate pinning implementation as outlined in the OWASP Mobile Top 10 and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers data compression and T1566, related to credential access through network attacks. Additionally, this issue demonstrates the necessity of implementing robust secure coding practices and regular security assessments for mobile applications handling sensitive medical data, particularly in compliance with healthcare security standards such as those specified in the HITECH Act and NIST guidelines for healthcare information security.