CVE-2022-35962 in Mobile
Summary
by MITRE • 08/29/2022
Zulip is an open source team chat and Zulip Mobile is an app for iOS and Andriod users. In Zulip Mobile through version 27.189, a crafted link in a message sent by an authenticated user could lead to credential disclosure if a user follows the link. A patch was released in version 27.190.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/09/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-35962 affects Zulip Mobile applications for both iOS and Android platforms, representing a significant security flaw that could compromise user credentials through malicious link manipulation. This issue specifically impacts versions up to and including 27.189 of the mobile client, with a patch released in version 27.190 to address the concern. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of links within messages sent by authenticated users, creating an attack vector that could be exploited by threat actors to gain unauthorized access to user credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in how the mobile application processes and validates hyperlinks embedded within chat messages. When an authenticated user receives a message containing a specially crafted link, the application fails to properly sanitize or verify the link's destination before allowing user interaction. This weakness enables attackers to construct malicious URLs that could potentially redirect users to credential harvesting pages or exploit other security mechanisms within the application's handling of external resources. The vulnerability operates under the principle of cross-site scripting or similar injection techniques where user-controllable input is not properly validated or escaped before being processed by the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it represents a sophisticated attack vector that could enable broader compromise of user accounts within the Zulip ecosystem. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially access not only the user's Zulip credentials but also potentially gain access to other services if users employ the same credentials across multiple platforms. The attack requires an authenticated user to follow the malicious link, making it somewhat less severe than fully server-side vulnerabilities but still presenting a significant risk to user security. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross-site scripting flaws, and could potentially map to ATT&CK technique T1531 for credential access through manipulation of legitimate credentials.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning given that it affects a communication platform where users regularly exchange sensitive information and credentials. Mobile applications present unique challenges for security implementation because they often need to handle external resources and network communications in ways that desktop applications do not. The patch released in version 27.190 addresses this by implementing stricter validation and sanitization of links within messages, ensuring that any external resource access is properly verified before allowing user interaction. Organizations using Zulip Mobile should immediately update to version 27.190 or later to protect against this vulnerability, as the attack requires minimal user interaction beyond following a malicious link. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in mobile applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of all user-controllable inputs in messaging applications.