CVE-2014-6694 in 5SOS Family Planet
Summary
by MITRE
The 5SOS Family Planet (aka uk.co.pixelkicks.fivesos) application 2.3.4 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-2014-6694 affects the 5SOS Family Planet Android application version 2.3.4, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL certificate verification mechanism. This weakness creates a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise the integrity of communications between the mobile application and remote servers. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS handshakes, effectively disabling the cryptographic security measures designed to establish trust between client and server components. This flaw directly violates fundamental security principles of secure communication protocols and exposes users to potential data interception and manipulation attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the application's network security configuration where SSL certificate validation is either completely disabled or improperly implemented. When an Android application establishes a secure connection to a server, it should validate the server's X.509 certificate against a trusted certificate authority to ensure the authenticity of the endpoint. However, in this case, the 5SOS Family Planet application bypasses this crucial validation step, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This behavior creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where malicious actors can intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the mobile device and the server. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in SSL/TLS implementations, and represents a failure to implement proper certificate pinning or trust verification mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to encompass potential identity theft, financial fraud, and unauthorized access to user accounts. Given that the application is designed for family-oriented content and likely handles user authentication credentials, personal information, and potentially financial transactions, the consequences of a successful attack could be severe. Attackers could exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers and gain access to user accounts, personal data, or even financial information if the application processes payments. The vulnerability also enables passive surveillance capabilities where attackers can monitor all communications between the application and its servers, potentially capturing sensitive user interactions and communications. This represents a significant risk to user privacy and data integrity, particularly in environments where mobile devices may be compromised or where network traffic is intercepted.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning techniques where the application explicitly trusts specific certificate authorities or certificate fingerprints rather than relying on the default trust store. This approach aligns with the ATT&CK framework's mitigation strategies for network infiltration techniques, specifically targeting the prevention of man-in-the-middle attacks through proper cryptographic implementation. Developers should also implement certificate validation checks that verify certificate signatures, expiration dates, and certificate chains against trusted authorities. Additionally, the application should be updated to enforce strict certificate validation during SSL handshakes and implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that the certificate validation mechanisms remain robust against evolving attack vectors and that the application maintains compliance with industry standards such as those defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for mobile application security.