Airscanner Mobile Security Advisory #08031201:
FlexiSPY Victim/User Email/SMS/Call Log Spoofing and Flawed Encryption Scheme

Product:
FlexiSPY Product and Website

Platform:
NA

Requirements:
NA

Credits:
Seth Fogie
Airscanner Mobile Security
http://www.airscanner.com
March 12, 2008

Risk Level:

High - Spoofed log records / Broken protection of settings file can lead to spyware hijacking and unmasking of sensitive information.

Summary:

FlexiSPY.com's user administration web application contains a critical bug that allows anyone to inject spoofed incoming/outgoing phone records, SMS messages, and Emails into the backend database for ANY user of the software if the IMEI value is known. In addition, due to a broken protection scheme on the configuration file, the identity of the person who is monitoring the device can be retrieved, and the spyware can be hijacked and removed from FlexiSPY.com's control.

Details:

Record Spoofing: The FlexiSPY backend requires no authentication other than the IMEI of the infected phone. Since the record posted is done via an unencrypted HTTP POST, spoofed logs can be created and uploaded to the FlexiSPY backend.

Flawed Encryption Scheme: The configuration information is stored locally on the infected device. The file is 'encrypted' with an easily defeatable scheme to prevent a user from learning information, such as the phone number of the device permitted to connect to the infected phone and listen in on phone calls.

Insecure Solution: The FlexiSPY product stores the location of the backend in the settings file. Since the settings file can be decrypted (and re-encrypted), it is trivial to change the location of the backend to an alternate location.

More details on this program and the vulnerabilities are located at:

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1185592

Workaround:
Uninstall the software from the victim's phone.

Copyright (c) 2008 Airscanner Corp.

Permission is granted for the redistribution of this alert electronically. It may not be edited in any way without the express written consent of Airscanner Corp. If you wish to reprint the whole or any part of this alert in any other medium other than electronically, please contact Airscanner Corp. for permission.

Disclaimer: The information in the advisory is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing based on currently available information. Use of the information constitutes acceptance for use on an AS IS condition. There are no warranties with regard to this information. Neither the author nor the publisher accepts any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage arising from use of, or reliance on, this information.