CVE-2014-6759 in Downton Abbey Fan Portal
Summary
by MITRE
The Downton Abbey Fan Portal (aka com.downton.abbey.fan.portal) application 1.0 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-2014-6759 affects the Downton Abbey Fan Portal Android application version 1.0, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communications. This issue resides within the application's cryptographic certificate verification mechanism, specifically targeting the SSL/TLS certificate validation process that is fundamental to establishing secure network connections between mobile applications and remote servers. The flaw enables malicious actors to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged SSL certificates that the application accepts without proper verification, thereby compromising the integrity of the communication channel.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly implement X.509 certificate validation procedures during SSL handshake processes. According to CWE-295, this represents a weakness in certificate validation where the application does not adequately verify the authenticity and trustworthiness of SSL certificates presented by remote servers. The vulnerability allows attackers to intercept and manipulate communications between the Android application and its backend services, potentially capturing sensitive user data, session tokens, or other confidential information transmitted over the network. This flaw directly violates the principles of secure communication protocols and demonstrates a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, creating significant risks for user privacy and application security. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers, redirect users to malicious endpoints, or extract sensitive information from users who interact with the application. The vulnerability affects any user who connects to the application's backend services, potentially compromising personal information, login credentials, or other data that may be transmitted during normal application usage. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which describes network service scanning and exploitation of weak cryptographic implementations, making it particularly dangerous in environments where sensitive user data is handled.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. The recommended approach involves configuring the application to perform comprehensive X.509 certificate verification including checking certificate chains, validating trust anchors, and implementing proper certificate pinning where appropriate. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate transparency measures and regularly updating their security protocols to prevent similar issues in future releases. The fix should address the core weakness by ensuring that all SSL connections undergo proper certificate validation before establishing secure communication channels, thereby restoring the intended security guarantees of the TLS protocol and protecting users from man-in-the-middle attacks.