CVE-2014-6003 in Belas Frases de Amor
Summary
by MITRE
The Belas Frases de Amor (aka com.goodbarber.frasesdeamor) application 1 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 • 09/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6003 resides within the Belas Frases de Amor Android application, which fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS communications. This critical security flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's cryptographic security implementation, specifically targeting the certificate verification process that is essential for establishing secure communications between mobile applications and remote servers. The absence of proper certificate validation creates a pathway for attackers to execute successful man-in-the-middle attacks against users of this application.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete failure to implement certificate pinning or proper certificate chain validation mechanisms. When the application establishes SSL connections to remote servers, it does not verify the authenticity of the server's X.509 certificate against trusted certificate authorities or maintain a list of approved certificates. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a classic example of weak cryptography implementation where the application accepts any certificate presented by a server without proper authentication. The flaw enables attackers to intercept communications by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it exposes users to potential data theft, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers and capture user credentials, personal data, financial information, or other confidential communications transmitted through the application. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of data in transit, undermining the fundamental security guarantees that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel," and represents a critical entry point for threat actors seeking to establish persistent access to user accounts and data.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address the core cryptographic implementation issues within the application. Developers should implement proper certificate validation by either configuring the application to trust only specific certificate authorities or by implementing certificate pinning mechanisms that verify server certificates against known good values. The solution involves configuring the SSL/TLS stack to reject certificates that fail validation, ensuring that only certificates issued by trusted authorities or matching pre-established certificate fingerprints are accepted. Additionally, the application should be updated to use modern cryptographic libraries that enforce proper certificate validation by default. Security best practices dictate that any mobile application handling sensitive user data must implement robust certificate validation to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and maintain the integrity of communications between client and server components.