CVE-2022-38117 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the Juiker app version 4.6.0311.1, classified under CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials). The vulnerability arises because the Juiker app hard-codes its AES encryption key directly within its source code. This design flaw allows an attacker who has already obtained root privileges on an Android device to extract the AES key from the app's code. With this key, the attacker can decrypt sensitive user ciphertext data stored or transmitted by the app and potentially tamper with it. The vulnerability does not allow remote exploitation since it requires physical access and root privileges on the device, but once these conditions are met, the confidentiality and integrity of user data protected by the AES encryption are severely compromised. The CVSS v3.1 score assigned is 5.5 (medium), reflecting the requirement for high privileges (root) and physical access, but also the high impact on confidentiality and integrity. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked, indicating that remediation may still be pending or that the vendor has not publicly released a fix. The vulnerability highlights a common cryptographic anti-pattern where hard-coded keys undermine encryption effectiveness, especially in mobile applications where reverse engineering is feasible. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability could decrypt sensitive information such as user credentials, personal data, or other encrypted content within the app, and modify it to cause unauthorized actions or data corruption.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability depends largely on the use of the Juiker app within their environment or by their employees. If the app is used to handle sensitive corporate or personal data, the exposure of the hard-coded AES key could lead to data breaches involving confidential information. This could result in violations of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), leading to regulatory fines and reputational damage. The requirement for physical access and root privileges limits the risk to insider threats or attackers with physical device access, such as stolen or lost devices. However, in sectors with high security requirements (e.g., finance, healthcare, government), even this limited attack vector is significant. The integrity compromise possibility means attackers could alter encrypted data, potentially causing misinformation or unauthorized transactions. Since no remote exploitation is possible, the threat is more localized but still critical for endpoint security. Organizations relying on Juiker app for secure communications or data storage should consider this vulnerability a serious risk to their data confidentiality and integrity.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Immediately audit and identify any use of the Juiker app within their environment, especially on devices handling sensitive data. 2) Restrict physical access to devices and enforce strong device security policies to prevent unauthorized rooting or privilege escalation. 3) Encourage or enforce the use of mobile device management (MDM) solutions that can detect rooted devices and restrict app usage accordingly. 4) Contact the Juiker app vendor for updates or patches addressing this vulnerability; if none are available, consider discontinuing use or replacing the app with alternatives that do not hard-code cryptographic keys. 5) Educate users about the risks of rooting devices and the importance of device security hygiene. 6) Monitor for unusual activity or data tampering that could indicate exploitation attempts. 7) For developers or organizations integrating Juiker app components, avoid embedding static cryptographic keys and instead use secure key management solutions such as hardware-backed keystores or dynamic key provisioning. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on device security posture, vendor engagement, and secure development practices specific to this vulnerability.