CVE-2014-6778 in Goat Forum
Summary
by MITRE
The Goat Forum (aka com.gcspublishing.goatspot) application 3.9.15 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-2014-6778 affects the Goat Forum Android application version 3.9.15, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by cryptographic protocols. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, leaving users exposed to various forms of malicious interference.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's SSL certificate validation process where it fails to perform proper certificate chain verification and hostname checking. This weakness allows attackers to deploy malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the application, enabling them to intercept and manipulate communications between the mobile client and target servers. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-295 category, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation, making it a well-documented and dangerous security weakness in mobile applications. The implementation essentially accepts any certificate presented by a server without verifying its authenticity through established trust mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates severe consequences for both end users and organizations relying on the application for sensitive data exchange. Attackers can exploit this weakness to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks, potentially gaining access to user credentials, personal information, financial data, and other confidential communications transmitted through the vulnerable application. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to encompass potential data breaches, identity theft, and financial fraud. This vulnerability particularly affects applications that handle sensitive user information or facilitate financial transactions, making the security implications far-reaching and potentially devastating.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is significant given the widespread use of mobile applications that fail to implement proper SSL certificate validation. According to ATT&CK framework categorization, this represents a technique under T1046 Network Service Scanning and T1566 Phishing, as attackers can leverage this weakness to establish malicious server impersonation capabilities. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of the application, implementing network-level monitoring for suspicious certificate activity, and deploying certificate pinning mechanisms where possible. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of all mobile applications to identify similar certificate validation weaknesses and ensure proper implementation of cryptographic security controls in accordance with NIST SP 800-52 guidelines for certificate management and validation.