CVE-2014-6758 in Qin Story
Summary
by MITRE
The Qin Story (aka com.kongzhong.tjmammoth.android.cqqslengp) application 1.00 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 described in CVE-2014-6758 represents a critical security flaw in the Qin Story mobile application version 1.00 for Android platforms. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS communications, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity. The vulnerability specifically affects the application's SSL certificate verification process, which is a fundamental security mechanism designed to ensure secure communication between mobile clients and remote servers.
This security weakness falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 in the Common Weakness Enumeration system. The flaw allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting maliciously crafted SSL certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. When the application fails to verify certificate chains, validate certificate authorities, or check certificate expiration dates, it creates an environment where attackers can intercept and manipulate encrypted communications. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, effectively undermining the entire SSL/TLS security framework that mobile applications rely upon for secure data transmission.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to users of the Qin Story application, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive information through various means including but not limited to user credentials, personal data, financial information, and communication content. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates at the transport layer security level, meaning that all data transmitted between the mobile device and backend servers becomes potentially accessible to malicious actors. This vulnerability aligns with several techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1041 category for Exfiltration Over C2 Channel, and T1566 for Phishing, as attackers could leverage this weakness to establish persistent access and data exfiltration capabilities. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to potentially compromise enterprise security if the application is used in business contexts.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from both application developers and security administrators. The primary remediation involves implementing proper SSL certificate verification mechanisms within the application code, ensuring that all certificate validation checks are performed before establishing secure connections. This includes implementing certificate pinning, validating certificate chains against trusted root authorities, checking certificate expiration dates, and ensuring proper hostname verification. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level security controls such as SSL inspection and monitoring for suspicious certificate activity. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to mobile security standards including those outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project, particularly the M3 category for Insecure Data Storage and M5 category for Security Decisions via Untrusted Inputs. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar certificate validation issues in other mobile applications and ensure comprehensive protection against man-in-the-middle attacks.