CVE-2014-6662 in Forum Krstarice
Summary
by MITRE
The Forum Krstarice (aka com.tapatalk.forumkrstaricacom) application 3.5.14 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 • 09/12/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6662 affects the Forum Krstarice Android application version 3.5.14, representing a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This issue falls under the category of weak cryptographic practices and improper certificate validation mechanisms that fundamentally compromise the integrity of encrypted communications between the mobile client and remote servers. The application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates creates a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to establish fraudulent communication channels.
The technical flaw stems from the application's complete absence of SSL/TLS certificate verification during the secure connection establishment process. When an Android application establishes an HTTPS connection, it should validate the server's X.509 certificate against a trusted certificate authority to ensure the authenticity of the server. This validation process includes checking certificate expiration dates, verifying the certificate chain, and confirming that the certificate was issued by a trusted authority. The Forum Krstarice application bypasses these essential security checks entirely, allowing any certificate to be accepted regardless of its legitimacy or trustworthiness.
This vulnerability creates a severe man-in-the-middle attack vector that enables attackers to intercept and manipulate communications between the vulnerable Android application and its backend servers. An attacker positioned between the user's device and the server can present a forged certificate that appears legitimate to the application, thereby establishing a false trust relationship. This allows the attacker to decrypt and modify sensitive data transmitted between the user and the server, potentially capturing login credentials, personal information, private messages, and other confidential data that should remain protected through secure communication channels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it undermines the fundamental security model that users expect from mobile applications. Users of the Forum Krstarice application may unknowingly transmit sensitive information to compromised servers without any indication of the security breach. This vulnerability particularly affects applications that handle user authentication, private communications, and personal data, making it a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit mobile application security weaknesses. The lack of certificate verification creates a persistent risk that remains active as long as the vulnerable application version is in use.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" through compromised communication channels. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing proper certificate pinning mechanisms, ensuring that the application validates certificates against a trusted certificate authority, and implementing certificate chain validation. Additionally, developers should adopt secure coding practices that enforce strict SSL/TLS validation, utilize platform-provided security features, and regularly update their applications to address known security vulnerabilities. The application should be updated to verify certificate chains, check certificate expiration dates, and implement proper certificate trust validation to prevent the acceptance of untrusted certificates.