CVE-2014-5614 in Love Collage - Photo Editor
Summary
by MITRE
The Love Collage - Photo Editor (aka com.etoolkit.lovecollage) application 1.3 for Android does not verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information via a crafted certificate.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5614 affects the Love Collage - Photo Editor Android application version 1.3, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's security architecture that directly impacts the integrity of data transmission between the mobile client and remote servers. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates, creating an exploitable condition that undermines the fundamental security guarantees provided by cryptographic protocols. Such a weakness places user data at significant risk and enables sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise sensitive information.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate verification mechanism within the application's SSL implementation. When the Love Collage application establishes connections to remote servers, it fails to perform proper X.509 certificate validation, which is a critical security control designed to ensure that clients are communicating with legitimate servers. This absence of certificate validation allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The flaw directly maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041 by enabling data interception and manipulation during network communication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass comprehensive security compromise of user interactions with the application. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept and modify sensitive user data, including personal information, photos, and potentially authentication credentials. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected application version, creating a widespread security risk that persists until the flaw is addressed through software updates. The implications are particularly severe given that the application handles photo editing functionality, which may involve access to personal media content and user-generated data that could be valuable to threat actors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate remediation through proper certificate validation implementation. Application developers must ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform thorough X.509 certificate verification, including checking certificate chains, expiration dates, and trust anchors. The fix should implement standard certificate validation libraries and avoid custom implementations that may introduce additional weaknesses. Security professionals should also consider network-level protections such as certificate pinning where appropriate, though this approach requires careful implementation to avoid user experience impacts. Regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar certificate validation issues in other applications, as this type of vulnerability frequently occurs in mobile applications that prioritize user experience over security controls. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of cryptographic best practices in mobile application development and the necessity of adhering to established security frameworks such as those defined by NIST and OWASP.