CVE-2014-6742 in All around Cyprus
Summary
by MITRE
The All around Cyprus (aka com.cyprus.newspapers) application 2.11 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-2014-6742 affects the All around Cyprus mobile application version 2.11 for Android platforms, 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 adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. 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 secure connections to remote servers, it fails to perform the necessary cryptographic checks that would normally verify certificate authenticity, chain of trust, and proper signing by recognized Certificate Authorities. This absence of validation creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where malicious actors can intercept communications and present forged certificates that the application will accept without question. The vulnerability operates at the transport layer security validation level, directly impacting the SSL/TLS handshake process and undermining the cryptographic security assurances that should protect sensitive data transmission.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass comprehensive information theft and system compromise potential. Attackers exploiting this flaw can gain access to sensitive user information including personal data, login credentials, and potentially financial information transmitted through the application. The vulnerability affects all communication channels within the application that rely on SSL/TLS encryption, making it particularly dangerous for any functionality involving user authentication, data submission, or sensitive information retrieval. This weakness essentially renders the application's secure communication features ineffective, leaving users exposed to various forms of cyber attacks including credential harvesting, data manipulation, and privacy violations.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communication implementations. The flaw also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through social engineering, as attackers can leverage the compromised communication channel to gather sensitive information. The vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient cryptographic validation that violates fundamental security principles outlined in industry standards such as NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and OWASP mobile top 10 for secure communication practices. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including certificate pinning, proper SSL/TLS configuration, and comprehensive security testing to address this vulnerability and prevent exploitation.
The recommended mitigations for this vulnerability include implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms that verify certificate chains, expiration dates, and issuer authenticity before establishing secure connections. Application developers should incorporate certificate pinning strategies that bind specific certificates or public keys to the application, preventing the acceptance of forged certificates even if they are cryptographically valid. Additionally, comprehensive security testing including penetration testing and secure coding reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in the application's cryptographic implementation. Regular updates and patch management processes should be established to ensure that certificate validation mechanisms remain effective against evolving attack vectors and new certificate validation requirements.