CVE-2014-6740 in XD Forum
Summary
by MITRE
The XD Forum (aka com.tapatalk.xdforumcomforum) application 3.9.17 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-2014-6740 affects the XD Forum Android application version 3.9.17, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's SSL certificate validation mechanism. This weakness resides in the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, creating a significant attack vector that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by Transport Layer Security protocols. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's ability to establish secure communications with backend servers, leaving users exposed to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise sensitive data transmission.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of SSL certificate verification within the application's network communication stack. When the XD Forum application establishes connections to remote servers, it does not validate the authenticity of the server's X.509 certificate against trusted certificate authorities or perform proper certificate chain validation. This omission allows attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application, enabling them to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the mobile device and the server. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically within the SSL/TLS implementation where certificate validation should occur, making it particularly dangerous as it bypasses the security mechanisms designed to protect user data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of all communications between the mobile application and its backend services. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform session hijacking, capture user credentials, access private messages, and potentially gain unauthorized access to user accounts within the forum environment. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected application version, creating a widespread security risk that persists until the application is updated with proper certificate validation mechanisms. This flaw particularly impacts applications handling sensitive user information, as it creates an open channel for data exfiltration and malicious activity that can be executed without requiring advanced technical skills from the attacker.
Organizations and users should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of the XD Forum application where certificate validation has been properly implemented. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation, and represents a clear violation of security best practices outlined in the OWASP Mobile Top 10. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1041, Exfiltration Over C2 Channel, and T1566, Phishing, as attackers can leverage the compromised communication channel to harvest user credentials and sensitive information. The recommended remediation involves implementing proper certificate pinning mechanisms, ensuring all SSL/TLS connections validate certificate chains against trusted CAs, and incorporating robust error handling for certificate validation failures to prevent the application from proceeding with unverified connections.