CVE-2018-4849 in VMS Video
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability has been identified in Siveillance VMS Video for Android (All versions < V12.1a (2018 R1)), Siveillance VMS Video for iOS (All versions < V12.1a (2018 R1)). Improper certificate validation could allow an attacker in a privileged network position to read data from and write data to the encrypted communication channel between the app and a server. The security vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker in a privileged network position which allows intercepting the communication channel between the affected app and a server (such as Man-in-the-Middle). Furthermore, an attacker must be able to generate a certificate that results for the validation algorithm in a checksum identical to a trusted certificate. Successful exploitation requires no user interaction. The vulnerability could allow reading data from and writing data to the encrypted communication channel between the app and a server, impacting the communication's confidentiality and integrity. At the time of advisory publication no public exploitation of this security vulnerability was known. Siemens confirms the security vulnerability and provides mitigations to resolve the security issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2023
This vulnerability represents a critical certificate validation flaw in Siveillance VMS mobile applications for both android and ios platforms. The issue stems from improper implementation of certificate validation mechanisms that fail to properly verify the authenticity and integrity of SSL/TLS certificates used in encrypted communications between mobile clients and servers. The vulnerability specifically affects all versions prior to V12.1a (2018 R1) and operates under the assumption that an attacker can establish a privileged network position to intercept communications. From a cybersecurity perspective, this flaw directly maps to CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments or links, though in this case the attack vector involves network interception rather than user interaction.
The technical implementation flaw occurs when the mobile application fails to properly validate certificate signatures and cryptographic checksums during the SSL/TLS handshake process. This weakness allows an attacker positioned within the network to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting a malicious certificate that produces identical cryptographic checksums to a legitimate trusted certificate. The vulnerability's exploitation requires the attacker to possess the capability to generate certificates that pass the flawed validation algorithm, essentially exploiting a collision vulnerability in the certificate validation process. This type of cryptographic weakness creates a fundamental breach in the security model that should normally protect data confidentiality and integrity during transmission. The attack scenario assumes the attacker has network-level privileges to intercept, modify, and redirect traffic between the vulnerable mobile application and its target server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass complete compromise of the encrypted communication channel between mobile clients and servers. An attacker with the capability to exploit this vulnerability could read sensitive data transmitted between the mobile application and servers, including user credentials, configuration information, and surveillance footage metadata. Additionally, the attacker could write malicious data into the communication channel, potentially leading to command injection, unauthorized access to surveillance systems, or manipulation of video recording schedules and access controls. The confidentiality and integrity aspects of the communication are simultaneously compromised, as the vulnerability allows for both passive eavesdropping and active data modification. This dual impact makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous for security-critical environments where surveillance systems are deployed.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate implementation of software updates to versions V12.1a (2018 R1) or later, which contain corrected certificate validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional network-level security controls such as network segmentation, deep packet inspection, and monitoring for unusual certificate exchange patterns. The solution addresses the root cause by strengthening the certificate validation algorithm to prevent checksum collisions and ensure proper cryptographic signature verification. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of all deployed Siveillance VMS applications and verify that updated certificates are properly installed and validated. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile security applications and demonstrates how weak certificate validation can undermine entire security architectures. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated certificate validation mechanisms to ensure they properly reject malicious certificates while maintaining legitimate communications with trusted servers.