CVE-2014-6649 in Tapatalk
Summary
by MITRE
The MyBroadband Tapatalk (aka com.tapatalk.mybroadbandcozavb) application 3.9.22 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-2014-6649 affects the MyBroadband Tapatalk application version 3.9.22 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL certificate validation mechanism. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of SSL certificate verification within the application's network communication stack. When the Tapatalk application establishes secure connections to its servers, it does not perform the essential step of validating the server's X.509 certificate against trusted certificate authorities or checking certificate validity periods, cryptographic strength, or proper hostname matching. This behavior directly violates fundamental security principles for secure communications and creates an environment where malicious actors can execute successful man-in-the-middle attacks without detection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables sophisticated attackers to completely impersonate legitimate servers within the application's communication framework. An attacker positioned between the Android device and the server can present a crafted certificate that appears legitimate to the vulnerable application, allowing them to decrypt and manipulate all communications between the user and the server. This capability compromises sensitive user information including login credentials, personal messages, and any data transmitted through the application's secure channels, potentially leading to account takeovers and broader data breaches.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" in security protocols, and represents a classic example of inadequate transport layer security implementation. The attack vector falls under the ATT&CK framework's technique T1041, "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel," where adversaries can establish unauthorized communication channels to extract sensitive data. The vulnerability also maps to T1566, "Phishing," as attackers can leverage the compromised communication to deliver malicious payloads or steal authentication credentials through spoofed server interactions.
Organizations and users should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of the Tapatalk application where certificate verification has been properly implemented, and network administrators should consider deploying additional monitoring solutions to detect anomalous SSL traffic patterns. The application developers should adopt industry-standard certificate pinning mechanisms, implement proper certificate validation routines, and ensure all SSL/TLS connections perform comprehensive certificate verification including chain of trust validation, expiration date checks, and hostname validation. Additionally, users should be educated about the importance of verifying application authenticity and avoiding untrusted network connections when handling sensitive communications.