CVE-2014-6701 in Mobile
Summary
by MITRE
The Vendormate Mobile (aka com.vendormate.mobile) application 3.0 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-2014-6701 affects the Vendormate Mobile application version 3.0 for Android operating systems, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's cryptographic implementation. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant weakness that undermines the integrity of secure communications between the mobile client and remote servers. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process, which is fundamental to establishing trust in secure network communications and preventing unauthorized parties from intercepting or manipulating sensitive data transmitted between the application and its backend services.
From a technical perspective, the flaw represents a failure in the SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism that should normally ensure the authenticity of server certificates through proper certificate chain validation, including checking certificate signatures, expiration dates, and trusted certificate authorities. The application's inability to verify these critical certificate attributes creates an environment where attackers can successfully perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. This weakness aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's secure communication implementation that violates established security best practices for mobile application development.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive information transmitted through the application's secure channels. This includes but is not limited to user credentials, personal identification information, financial data, and business-critical information that may be processed or stored within the Vendormate Mobile application. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by adversaries with network access or those capable of intercepting network traffic, potentially compromising the confidentiality and integrity of all data flowing through the application's communication channels. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access to sensitive data without requiring additional authentication or authorization, making the attack surface particularly dangerous for organizations relying on the application for business operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address the core certificate verification failure through comprehensive application updates that implement proper SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms. Organizations should immediately deploy security patches that enforce strict certificate chain validation, including verification of certificate signatures, proper certificate authority trust, and expiration date checking. The remediation efforts should align with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-52 for secure certificate management and the OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines for secure mobile application development. Additionally, network-level protections such as SSL pinning implementation can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, while monitoring and logging of SSL/TLS connection attempts should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and traffic inspection capabilities to identify and block suspicious certificate validation behaviors that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications and serves as a reminder of the potential consequences when applications fail to properly validate security certificates, potentially exposing sensitive organizational data to unauthorized access and manipulation through well-known attack vectors documented in the ATT&CK framework under network infiltration and credential access techniques.