CVE-2019-17394 in Parent
Summary
by MITRE
In the Seesaw Parent and Family application 6.2.5 for Android, the username and password are stored in the log during authentication, and may be available to attackers via logcat.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-17394 represents a critical security flaw in the Seesaw Parent and Family application version 6.2.5 for Android platforms. This issue stems from improper handling of sensitive authentication credentials within the application's logging mechanisms, creating an exploitable condition that compromises user account security. The vulnerability manifests when the application writes username and password information directly to system logs during the authentication process, making this sensitive data accessible to malicious actors who can retrieve it through standard logging interfaces.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-532, which addresses information exposure through log files, and CWE-200, which covers exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor. The flaw occurs at the application level where developers failed to implement proper credential sanitization before log output, resulting in plaintext credentials being written to the Android system's logcat facility. This logging behavior violates fundamental security principles by storing authentication secrets in accessible locations where they can be retrieved by any process with appropriate permissions or by attackers who gain access to the device's logging system.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for users of the Seesaw application as it directly enables credential theft attacks. Attackers with access to a victim's device can utilize logcat commands to extract stored credentials, potentially gaining unauthorized access to parent and family accounts. The impact extends beyond individual account compromise to include potential data breaches involving children's information, as the Seesaw application is designed for family-oriented services that typically contain sensitive personal data. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1074.001, which covers data staged through log files, and T1566.001, covering spearphishing through social engineering, as attackers could potentially use stolen credentials to gain deeper access to connected systems.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate code-level fixes within the application's authentication flow. Developers must implement proper credential sanitization before any logging operations, ensuring that sensitive information is either removed from log output or replaced with placeholder values. This includes modifying the application's logging mechanisms to exclude authentication parameters from being written to system logs. Additionally, the application should implement secure logging practices that comply with industry standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project's M3 category, which addresses insecure logging of sensitive data. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime monitoring to detect and prevent unauthorized access to log files, while users should be advised to regularly review their device security settings and ensure proper application permissions are configured. The fix requires comprehensive testing to ensure that all authentication paths properly sanitize output before logging, and that the application's security posture aligns with established mobile security frameworks to prevent similar issues in future releases.