CVE-2014-6663 in Funny Amharic Pic
Summary
by MITRE
The Addis Gag Funny Amharic Pic (aka com.wAmharicFunnyPicture) application 0.1 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-2014-6663 affects the Addis Gag Funny Amharic Pic Android application version 0.1, representing a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This issue manifests as a failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector that undermines the application's security posture. The flaw directly impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, leaving users exposed to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise the integrity and confidentiality of data transmission.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from the application's improper handling of SSL certificate validation mechanisms within its network communication stack. When the application establishes connections to remote servers, it fails to perform the necessary certificate verification steps that are fundamental to secure SSL/TLS implementations. This omission allows attackers to present fraudulent certificates that the application accepts without proper scrutiny, effectively bypassing the cryptographic protection mechanisms designed to secure communications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and represents a classic example of weak cryptographic implementation that can be exploited by threat actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it creates opportunities for comprehensive attack scenarios that can compromise user data and system integrity. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform session hijacking, inject malicious content into communications, or capture sensitive information transmitted between the application and its servers. The implications are particularly severe given that the application appears to be a picture sharing or entertainment application, suggesting it may handle user-generated content, personal data, or other sensitive information that could be targeted by adversaries. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers data compression and encryption for exfiltration, as attackers can more easily intercept and manipulate communications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application's network layer. Developers must ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform thorough certificate verification including chain of trust validation, expiration date checking, and hostname verification against the presented certificate. The application should implement certificate pinning where appropriate to further strengthen trust validation. Additionally, regular security audits and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar issues in other network communication components. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for addressing certificate-related security incidents. The fix should align with industry best practices for secure mobile application development and comply with security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, which emphasizes the importance of proper cryptographic implementation and secure communication protocols in mobile applications.