CVE-2018-5258 in App
Summary
by MITRE
The Neon app 1.6.14 iOS does not verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, which allows remote attackers to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information via a crafted certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/23/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5258 affects the Neon mobile application version 1.6.14 on iOS platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate pinning or proper certificate validation routines within the application's secure communication framework. When the Neon app establishes connections to remote servers using SSL/TLS protocols, it fails to perform the essential verification steps that should confirm the authenticity and legitimacy of the server's digital certificate. This omission allows attackers to deploy man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, thereby bypassing the security measures designed to protect sensitive data transmission.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to severe risks including data interception, credential theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate services and capture communications between the mobile application and backend servers, potentially gaining access to personal data, financial information, or other confidential resources. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to encompass potential corporate data breaches and compliance violations, particularly in regulated environments where secure communications are mandatory.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of weak cryptographic implementation that violates fundamental security principles. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps directly to several ATT&CK techniques including T1046 for network service scanning and T1071.004 for application layer protocol traffic filtering, as attackers can leverage the certificate validation bypass to establish persistent access routes. The lack of proper certificate verification creates a persistent security gap that can be exploited across multiple sessions and communication channels without requiring additional authentication or system compromise.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the Neon application, implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, and establishing network monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior. Additionally, mobile security frameworks should enforce strict certificate validation policies and consider implementing additional layers of security such as certificate transparency checks and automated vulnerability scanning to prevent exploitation of similar weaknesses in other applications.