CVE-2014-6705 in Maher Zain
Summary
by MITRE
The Maher Zain (aka com.vanagas.app.maher_zain) application 1.1 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-2014-6705 affects the Maher Zain Android application version 1.1, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during the secure communication process, creating a significant security gap that exposes users to potential man-in-the-middle attacks.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation and hostname verification during SSL/TLS connections. When an Android application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it should validate the server's SSL certificate against a trusted certificate authority and verify that the certificate's hostname matches the server being accessed. The Maher Zain application bypasses these crucial validation steps, allowing attackers to present forged certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This weakness enables attackers to intercept and manipulate communications between the mobile application and its backend servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, as it compromises the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between the mobile application and remote servers. Attackers can exploit this flaw to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting malicious certificates that the application accepts without proper verification. This allows threat actors to eavesdrop on sensitive communications, potentially intercepting user credentials, personal information, payment details, or other confidential data that the application processes. The vulnerability particularly affects applications that handle user authentication, personal data, or financial transactions, making it a significant concern for privacy and security.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically targeting the credential access and defense evasion domains. Attackers can leverage this weakness to establish persistent access to user accounts and sensitive data, while the application's failure to validate certificates makes detection more difficult. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's security architecture that violates industry best practices for secure mobile application development. Organizations should implement proper certificate pinning mechanisms, utilize trusted certificate authorities, and ensure that all SSL/TLS connections undergo rigorous validation before considering communications secure.
The remediation approach requires developers to implement proper certificate validation procedures, including certificate chain validation, hostname verification, and the use of trusted certificate stores. Applications should either implement certificate pinning to validate specific certificates or ensure that all certificate validation follows established security standards. Additionally, the application should be updated to verify certificate signatures against trusted certificate authorities and implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing robust security controls in mobile applications to protect user data from interception and manipulation by malicious actors.