CVE-2014-6775 in Light for Pets
Summary
by MITRE
The Light for Pets (aka com.helenwoodward.light4pets) 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 • 09/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6775 affects the Light for Pets Android application version 1.0, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's handling of secure communications. This issue resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant weakness in the cryptographic security framework that protects user data transmission. The vulnerability represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security architecture, as it fails to implement proper certificate pinning or validation mechanisms that are essential for establishing trust in network communications.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate verification processes within the application's SSL implementation. When the application establishes connections to remote servers, it does not perform the necessary checks to validate the server's certificate against trusted certificate authorities or implement certificate pinning techniques. This omission allows attackers to exploit the trust model by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. The vulnerability specifically impacts the TLS handshake process where certificate validation should occur, but instead permits connections to proceed regardless of certificate authenticity. This weakness directly violates established security protocols and creates an attack surface that enables malicious actors to intercept and manipulate communications between the mobile application and backend servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise sensitive user information. Attackers can exploit this flaw to intercept data transmitted between the application and servers, potentially accessing personal information, user credentials, or other confidential data. The vulnerability affects not only the confidentiality of communications but also the integrity of data being transmitted, as attackers can modify information in transit. This represents a direct violation of the security principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and falls under the CWE-295 category for improper certificate validation. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no special privileges or complex exploitation techniques, making it accessible to a wide range of threat actors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The application developers should implement proper certificate validation mechanisms that verify certificate chains against trusted CAs, implement certificate pinning for critical endpoints, and ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform mandatory certificate verification. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level security controls such as SSL inspection and monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and defense evasion, as attackers can use this flaw to access sensitive information while potentially remaining undetected. The vulnerability also aligns with TTPs related to initial access and privilege escalation through network-based attacks. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that certificate validation mechanisms are properly functioning and that no similar vulnerabilities exist in the application's codebase or related systems.