CVE-2014-6014 in Conquest Of Fantasia
Summary
by MITRE
The Conquest Of Fantasia (aka air.com.ingen.studios.cof.sg) application 1.0.1 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-2014-6014 affects the Conquest Of Fantasia mobile application version 1.0.1 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL certificate validation mechanism. This issue falls under the broader category of insufficient certificate verification within mobile applications, which creates significant security risks for users who interact with the application's network communications. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates from SSL servers, a fundamental security control that should ensure the authenticity and integrity of network connections.
The technical flaw stems from the application's implementation of SSL/TLS connections without proper certificate pinning or validation procedures. When an Android application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it should verify the server's X.509 certificate against trusted certificate authorities to ensure that the communication is indeed with the intended server and not an attacker who has positioned themselves in the middle of the communication channel. This particular application fails to perform this critical verification step, allowing attackers to exploit the trust relationship between the client and server. The vulnerability is categorized as a weakness in the application's cryptographic implementation, specifically related to certificate validation processes that should align with industry standards and best practices for secure communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it creates an environment where man-in-the-middle attacks can succeed with minimal effort. Attackers can craft malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, enabling them to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive user data transmitted through the application's network connections. This includes personal information, login credentials, payment details, and other confidential data that users might enter or receive while using the application. The vulnerability essentially undermines the entire purpose of SSL/TLS encryption, rendering the security layer ineffective against determined attackers who can exploit this gap in validation. From an attacker's perspective, this represents a low-hanging fruit vulnerability that provides significant access to user information without requiring advanced technical skills or expensive tools.
The security implications extend beyond simple data theft to encompass potential identity fraud, financial loss, and privacy violations that could affect thousands of users depending on the application's user base. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile applications where users often conduct sensitive transactions or provide personal information. The flaw aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and represents a failure to implement proper certificate chain validation as outlined in industry security standards. Organizations should implement certificate pinning mechanisms, utilize trusted certificate authorities, and ensure that all SSL/TLS connections validate certificates against established trust roots to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1041, which involves data transmission through command and control channels, as the compromised application could potentially serve as a conduit for exfiltrating user data to attacker-controlled servers.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation within the application's network layer, including certificate pinning to specific trusted certificates or certificate authorities. Developers must ensure that the application performs comprehensive certificate chain validation, checks certificate expiration dates, and validates certificate signatures against trusted root certificates. The fix should involve updating the application to properly implement SSL/TLS certificate validation routines that conform to industry standards such as those specified in RFC 5280 for X.509 certificates and RFC 5246 for TLS protocols. Additionally, the application should be updated to use modern cryptographic libraries that properly handle certificate validation and include mechanisms to detect and reject improperly signed certificates. Security audits should be conducted to ensure that all network communications within the application properly validate certificates, and that the application does not accept self-signed certificates or certificates from untrusted authorities without proper verification steps. The implementation of these fixes would align with security frameworks such as the OWASP Mobile Security Project recommendations and help prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future versions of the application.