CVE-2014-6745 in Family Location
Summary
by MITRE
The Family Location (aka com.sosocome.family) application 3.4 2014-5-20 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 • 09/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6745 affects the Family Location Android application version 3.4 released on 2014-5-20, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism. This weakness stems from the application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks against users of the application. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish secure communications with backend servers, fundamentally undermining the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between the mobile device and remote services. According to CWE-295, this represents a failure to properly validate certificates, which is a well-documented weakness in cryptographic implementations that can lead to severe security consequences.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's SSL/TLS implementation where certificate verification is either completely bypassed or implemented incorrectly, allowing attackers to present forged certificates that the application accepts as legitimate. This occurs because the application does not perform proper certificate chain validation, does not check certificate expiration dates, and fails to verify the certificate's signature against trusted Certificate Authorities. The vulnerability enables attackers to intercept and modify communications between the mobile application and its servers, potentially gaining access to sensitive user information including family location data, personal identifiers, and other confidential information. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates at the transport layer security level, making it invisible to end users while providing attackers with complete access to the application's communication channel.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it creates a persistent security risk for all users of the Family Location application. Attackers can not only steal sensitive location data but also potentially impersonate legitimate services to deliver malware or conduct further social engineering attacks. The vulnerability is particularly concerning given the nature of the application, which is designed to track family members' locations, making it a prime target for adversaries seeking to exploit personal information for stalking, harassment, or financial gain. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with T1046 Network Service Scanning and T1566 Phishing, as it enables attackers to establish unauthorized communication channels and potentially compromise user accounts. The vulnerability also represents a failure in the application's security architecture that could be exploited for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the affected network.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. The recommended approach involves implementing certificate pinning to ensure that the application only accepts certificates from trusted authorities and specific server certificates. Organizations should also implement certificate validation routines that check certificate expiration dates, verify certificate chains against trusted CAs, and perform hostname verification to prevent certificate spoofing attacks. Additionally, the application should be updated to use modern SSL/TLS protocols with proper certificate validation, and developers should implement security libraries that handle certificate validation correctly. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing proper cryptographic security measures, as outlined in OWASP Mobile Top 10 and NIST SP 800-52 guidelines for mobile application security. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other mobile applications and ensure that certificate validation mechanisms are properly implemented and maintained.