CVE-2014-6021 in Visa
Summary
by MITRE
The Harley-Davidson Visa (aka com.usbank.icsmobile.harleydavidson) application 1.18 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 CVE-2014-6021 vulnerability affects the Harley-Davidson Visa mobile application version 1.18 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism. This vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications. The flaw creates a dangerous trust relationship where the application accepts any certificate without proper validation, making it susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise user data and system integrity.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications. The application's weak certificate verification implementation allows attackers to perform SSL stripping attacks or present forged certificates that the application will accept without question. The security implications extend beyond simple data interception, as this flaw enables attackers to establish fraudulent communication channels that can deceive users into believing they are communicating with legitimate servers. The vulnerability represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security architecture, as it fails to implement proper certificate pinning or validation procedures that are standard practice in secure mobile applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, particularly for a financial application like the Harley-Davidson Visa mobile app that likely handles sensitive user information, transaction data, and personal identification details. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can intercept and modify communications between users and the application's backend servers, potentially accessing user accounts, transaction histories, and other confidential information. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no sophisticated tools or deep technical knowledge to exploit, making it accessible to a wide range of threat actors including those with basic networking skills.
The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1041, where adversaries use network sniffing to capture and manipulate data, and T1566, which involves social engineering through fraudulent communications. The lack of certificate verification creates an attack surface that allows for credential theft, session hijacking, and data exfiltration. Organizations using this application face significant risk of data breaches and regulatory compliance violations, particularly under standards such as PCI DSS and GDPR that mandate proper cryptographic practices. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in the application's security development lifecycle, where proper security testing and code review should have identified and addressed the certificate validation weakness before deployment.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms, including certificate pinning, and updating the application to ensure all SSL/TLS connections verify server certificates against trusted certificate authorities. Security teams should implement network monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate certificate manipulation attempts. The application should be updated to include proper certificate chain validation, revocation checking, and implementation of secure communication protocols that prevent downgrade attacks. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of all mobile applications to identify similar certificate validation weaknesses and ensure compliance with industry security standards and best practices.