CVE-2014-6737 in Ultimate Target-Armored Sniper
Summary
by MITRE
The Ultimate Target-Armored Sniper (aka air.wood.liame.ultimatetarget) application 1.0.1 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 • 09/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6737 affects the Ultimate Target-Armored Sniper Android application version 1.0.1, 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 attack surface that compromises the integrity of network communications. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process, which is fundamental to establishing trust in secure communications between mobile applications and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL implementation. When the application establishes connections to remote servers, it fails to perform the essential X.509 certificate validation steps that should verify certificate authenticity, expiration dates, and trust chain integrity. This weakness allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that the application accepts without proper verification. The vulnerability directly violates established security protocols and represents a failure in the application's cryptographic implementation that aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables attackers to intercept and manipulate sensitive data transmitted between the application and its servers. An attacker positioned between the mobile device and the target server can present a malicious certificate that the application accepts, allowing them to decrypt and modify communications. This capability compromises user privacy, enables data theft, and potentially allows for credential harvesting if the application handles authentication tokens or user credentials. The vulnerability affects all data exchanges within the application, including any sensitive information that might be transmitted over the network, making it particularly dangerous for applications handling personal or financial data.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to several ATT&CK techniques including T1041, which covers data from network shared drives, and T1566, which involves credential harvesting through social engineering or network attacks. The flaw essentially provides attackers with a pre-established foothold for further exploitation, as they can use the compromised connection to gather intelligence about the application's behavior, user patterns, or even access backend systems if the application maintains privileged access. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as a potential entry point for more sophisticated attacks, particularly in environments where the application might be used to access sensitive corporate or personal information.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability involve implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS implementation. Developers should ensure that all X.509 certificates are validated against trusted certificate authorities, that certificate expiration dates are checked, and that certificate chains are properly verified. Additionally, implementing certificate pinning techniques can provide an additional layer of security by ensuring that the application only accepts specific certificates or certificate authorities. Organizations should also consider updating the application to versions that address this specific vulnerability and implementing network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks. The fix should align with industry best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-52 and RFC 6125, which provide comprehensive guidance on certificate validation and secure communication implementation.