CVE-2014-6723 in Comics Plus
Summary
by MITRE
The Comics Plus (aka com.iversecomics.comicsplus.android) application 1.06 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.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6723 affects the Comics Plus Android application version 1.06, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communications. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, fundamentally undermining the security model designed to protect sensitive information exchanges.
This technical flaw represents a classic implementation error in certificate validation mechanisms, where the application bypasses the standard certificate chain verification process that should occur during SSL handshakes. The absence of proper certificate verification allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation, and demonstrates how weak cryptographic implementations can create persistent security risks in mobile applications. Attackers can exploit this weakness by intercepting network traffic and substituting their own certificates for legitimate ones, enabling them to decrypt and potentially modify communications between the mobile application and backend servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it allows adversaries to gain unauthorized access to sensitive user information that the application may handle during normal operations. Mobile applications that process personal data, user credentials, or financial information face particular risk when implementing such certificate validation failures. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of communications, potentially exposing user accounts, personal information, and any data transmitted through the compromised application. This weakness particularly impacts applications that rely on secure communication channels for user authentication, content delivery, or data synchronization with remote services, making it a critical concern for mobile security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation within the application's network communication layer. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning mechanisms that validate server certificates against known good certificates or certificate authorities, ensuring that only trusted certificates are accepted during SSL connections. Organizations should also implement certificate validation that checks certificate expiration dates, verifies certificate chains, and ensures proper certificate signatures before establishing secure connections. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following industry best practices such as those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, which emphasizes the need for proper certificate handling in mobile applications. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive code reviews to identify similar certificate validation issues across the application's codebase, and implement automated testing procedures to verify certificate validation behavior during security assessments. The fix should be implemented in accordance with NIST Special Publication 800-52 guidelines for secure certificate management and should be part of a broader mobile application security framework that addresses the ATT&CK technique T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through man-in-the-middle attacks.