CVE-2014-5976

Vulnerability

The alibaba (com.alibaba.wireless) application version 4.1.0.0 for Android fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by HTTPS servers. This means the app does not verify that the certificate chain is signed by a trusted root certificate authority, leaving all HTTPS connections from the app vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks. The vulnerability is present in the app's SSL/TLS implementation and does not require any special configuration to be exploitable. [1]

Exploitation

An attacker positioned on the same network as the victim's Android device (e.g., a rogue Wi-Fi hotspot) can perform a man-in-the-middle attack. By presenting a crafted certificate that the app does not validate, the attacker can intercept and decrypt HTTPS traffic between the app and its servers. The attack requires no user interaction beyond the victim using the app normally. [1]

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to spoof legitimate servers and obtain sensitive information transmitted by the app, such as login credentials, personal data, or financial details. The impact is limited to information disclosure; however, depending on the app's functionality, the attacker might also be able to modify data in transit. [1]

Mitigation

As of the publication date (2014-09-20), no official patch has been released for the alibaba app version 4.1.0.0. The CERT/CC recommends avoiding the use of affected applications and instead accessing the same services via a web browser, which typically implements proper SSL validation. Users should uninstall the app until a fixed version is provided. [1]