Submission + - Critical Android FakeID Bug Allows Apps to Impersonate Trusted Apps
The vulnerability is a result of the way that Android handles certificate validation and it’s present in all versions of Android from 2.1 to 4.4, known as Kit Kat. Researchers at Bluebox Security, who identified the vulnerability, said that in some cases, attackers can exploit the vulnerability to gain full access to a target device. Specifically, devices that run the 3LM administration extension are at risk for a complete compromise. This includes devices from HTC, Pantech, Sharp, Sony Ericsson, and Motorola.
Android apps are signed using digital certificates that establish the identity of the developer and the vulnerability Bluebox discovered is that the Android app installer doesn’t try to authenticate the certificate chain of a given app. That means an attacker can create an app with a fake identity and impersonate an app with extensive privileges, such as an Adobe plug-in or Google Wallet. In the case of the Adobe impersonation, the malicious app would have the ability to escape the sandbox and run malicious code inside another app, the researchers said.
“You could use any app distribution mechanism, whether it’s a link in SMS or a legitimate app store. Look at other Android malware. You do it whatever it takes for the user to say, Yeah I want that app,” Bluebox CTO Jeff Forristal said. “It’s certainly severe. It’s completely stealth and transparent to the user and it’s absolutely the stuff that malware is made of. It operates extremely consistently, so in that regard it’s going to be extremely attractive to malware.”