CVE-2014-6683 in Open Electrical Webser
Summary
by MITRE
The Open Electrical Webser (aka com.wOpenElectricalWeb) 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 • 09/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6683 affects the Open Electrical Web application version 0.1 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant weakness in the mobile application's cryptographic security framework. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, leaving users exposed to various forms of cyber attacks that exploit this fundamental security gap.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's improper handling of SSL certificate validation processes, where the software fails to perform essential certificate chain validation and trust verification steps. This omission allows malicious actors to intercept communications between the mobile application and legitimate servers by presenting forged certificates that appear valid to the vulnerable application. The implementation lacks proper certificate pinning mechanisms and certificate verification routines that would normally be expected in secure mobile applications. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in the application's cryptographic implementation, specifically categorized under CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation and trust verification issues.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, creating opportunities for sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise user data and system integrity. Attackers can exploit this weakness to establish fraudulent connections with the application, potentially gaining access to sensitive user information, authentication credentials, or proprietary data transmitted through the vulnerable communication channels. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that mobile applications often handle personal information, financial data, and access credentials that could be devastatingly compromised. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1573.002, which describes the use of unencrypted communications for data exfiltration and command and control operations.
The security implications of CVE-2014-6683 are particularly severe for mobile environments where applications frequently communicate with backend servers to retrieve or transmit sensitive data. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic protection that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide, rendering the application's network communications vulnerable to passive and active attacks. Users of the Open Electrical Web application face significant risk of data breaches, identity theft, and potential system compromise when connecting to servers that may be under attacker control. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental lack of security awareness in the application's development lifecycle, where proper security testing and code review processes should have identified and addressed this critical certificate validation failure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques that verify server certificates against known good certificates or public key fingerprints, thereby preventing the acceptance of forged certificates. The application must be updated to perform comprehensive certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate authorities, and ensuring proper certificate signatures. Additionally, implementing certificate revocation checking and maintaining up-to-date certificate trust stores will significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Security best practices dictate that mobile applications handling sensitive data should never operate without proper cryptographic validation, as this vulnerability represents a clear violation of fundamental security principles that align with industry standards such as those recommended by NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and secure communication protocols.