CVE-2014-6646 in bellyhoodcom
Summary
by MITRE
The bellyhoodcom (aka com.tapatalk.bellyhoodcom) application 3.4.23 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 • 09/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6646 affects the bellyhoodcom Android application version 3.4.23, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's certificate validation mechanism, where the software fails to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure connections. The absence of proper certificate verification creates an exploitable condition that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by Transport Layer Security protocols.
This vulnerability stems from improper implementation of SSL/TLS certificate validation within the application's network communication stack. When an Android application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it should validate the server's SSL certificate against trusted Certificate Authorities to ensure the authenticity of the connection. The bellyhoodcom application bypasses this crucial validation step, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This flaw directly violates security best practices and industry standards for secure mobile application development.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant, as it enables man-in-the-middle attacks where adversaries can intercept and manipulate communications between the mobile application and its servers. Attackers can create malicious certificates that the application will accept without proper verification, allowing them to decrypt sensitive data transmitted between the user's device and the server. This includes personal information, login credentials, financial data, and any other sensitive content that the application might handle during its normal operations. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic protection that users expect when communicating with secure services.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with attack patterns described in the ATT&CK framework under the T1046 technique for network service scanning and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. The vulnerability also corresponds to CWE-295 which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols. The lack of certificate verification creates an attack surface that allows adversaries to establish malicious connections without detection, potentially leading to data breaches, identity theft, and unauthorized access to user accounts. Organizations relying on this application for business operations face increased risk of security incidents that could result in regulatory compliance violations and financial losses.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's network stack. Developers must ensure that all SSL/TLS connections validate server certificates against trusted CA stores and implement certificate pinning where appropriate to prevent the acceptance of fraudulent certificates. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar validation flaws in other network communication components. The application should be updated to enforce strict certificate validation policies and implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures to prevent the application from proceeding with insecure connections. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous certificate behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.