CVE-2014-6747 in SeeOn
Summary
by MITRE
The SeeOn (aka com.seeon) application 4.0.7 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-2014-6747 affects the SeeOn mobile application version 4.0.7 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communications protocols. This weakness resides in 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 and system integrity. The vulnerability specifically impacts 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 missing certificate validation mechanism within the application's SSL implementation, allowing attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates to users. When the SeeOn application establishes secure connections with servers, it fails to validate the certificate chain, verify certificate signatures, or check certificate expiration dates, thereby accepting any certificate presented by an attacker. This weakness directly violates industry security standards and best practices for secure communication implementation, as defined by the Open Web Application Security Project and the National Institute of Standards and Technology security guidelines. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in secure communications, and represents a classic example of insufficient certificate, key, and trust validation that enables cryptographic attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to not only eavesdrop on communications but also to actively modify data in transit, inject malicious content, and potentially gain unauthorized access to user accounts and sensitive information. Mobile applications that rely on secure communications for authentication, data transmission, or financial transactions become particularly vulnerable when they fail to properly validate SSL certificates, as users may unknowingly interact with compromised servers. The attack vector is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users may connect to unsecured networks, making the lack of certificate validation a critical security weakness that undermines the entire security model of the application. This vulnerability can be exploited through various attack methods including SSL stripping, certificate forgery, and DNS cache poisoning, all of which leverage the application's failure to properly validate server certificates.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS stack. Security measures should include enforcing certificate chain validation, implementing certificate pinning techniques, and ensuring proper verification of certificate signatures, expiration dates, and issuer information. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate transparency monitoring and regular security audits of mobile applications to identify similar validation weaknesses. The remediation process involves updating the application code to properly handle SSL certificate validation, following established security frameworks such as the OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines and NIST recommendations for secure mobile application development. Additionally, implementing network-level security controls including intrusion detection systems and SSL inspection capabilities can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing throughout the software development lifecycle, particularly for applications handling sensitive user data or financial transactions.