CVE-2014-6016 in Celluloid
Summary
by MITRE
The Celluloid (aka com.eurisko.celluloid) 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 • 09/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6016 affects the Celluloid Android application version 1.3, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's certificate validation mechanism, which is fundamental to establishing trust in encrypted communications. The vulnerability falls under the category of insufficient certificate verification, a common yet severe issue in mobile applications that handle sensitive data transmission. The application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates creates an opening for malicious actors to exploit the trust model that should exist between client and server in secure communications.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation and trust verification when establishing SSL connections. This deficiency allows attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application, effectively bypassing the security measures designed to protect against unauthorized access. The vulnerability specifically impacts the certificate verification process that should ensure the authenticity of SSL servers through proper validation of certificate authorities, certificate expiration dates, and domain name matching. Without this verification, the application accepts any certificate presented by a server, making it susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can intercept and modify communication between the user and legitimate servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive surveillance and data manipulation capabilities for attackers. An attacker positioned to intercept network traffic can present a forged certificate that the application accepts, allowing them to decrypt and potentially alter sensitive information being transmitted. This includes personal data, authentication credentials, financial information, and other confidential communications that users expect to be protected. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users may connect to unsecured networks, such as public wifi hotspots, increasing the attack surface and likelihood of exploitation. The impact aligns with attack patterns described in the attack technique T1041 for data encryption and T1566 for credential access through man-in-the-middle attacks.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and the broader implications for mobile application security. The flaw demonstrates a failure in implementing proper certificate pinning or validation mechanisms that are essential for mobile applications handling sensitive data. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including certificate pinning, proper certificate validation, and network monitoring to detect unauthorized certificate usage. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, particularly in areas related to secure communication and certificate management. Additionally, this issue underscores the necessity of regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning of mobile applications to identify and remediate similar flaws before they can be exploited by malicious actors.