CVE-2014-6781 in Aloha Stadium - Hawaii
Summary
by MITRE
The Aloha Stadium - Hawaii (aka com.stadium.aloha) application 1.2 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-2014-6781 affects the Aloha Stadium - Hawaii mobile application version 1.2 for Android devices, 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 exposure that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by transport layer security. The flaw exists within the application's cryptographic implementation, specifically in how it handles certificate verification processes during network communications with remote servers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the domain of improper certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. This weakness represents a failure to properly validate the authenticity and integrity of SSL/TLS certificates, allowing malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the client and server. The application's insecure implementation creates a pathway for man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can present fraudulent certificates that the application accepts without proper verification, effectively bypassing the security mechanisms designed to protect sensitive data transmission.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to users of the Aloha Stadium application, as it enables attackers to intercept and potentially manipulate all data transmitted between the mobile device and the application's servers. The implications extend beyond simple data interception to include potential credential theft, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to personal information. Attackers could exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers and gain access to sensitive user data, including personal identifiers, authentication tokens, and potentially financial information if the application handles such data. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects a mobile application that likely handles user accounts, personal information, and potentially payment data in a stadium environment where users may be accessing the application during events.
The attack surface for this vulnerability aligns with several techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to credential access and initial access vectors. Adversaries can leverage this weakness to establish persistent access through credential theft or to gain unauthorized access to user accounts by intercepting authentication tokens and session data. The vulnerability also enables network sniffing and traffic interception activities that would otherwise be protected by proper SSL/TLS certificate validation. Organizations should consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and ensure that the application's certificate validation mechanisms are properly implemented and tested.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL/TLS certificate validation within the application's network communication layer. The fix involves implementing certificate pinning mechanisms, ensuring that the application validates certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities, and implementing proper error handling for certificate validation failures. Security patches should enforce strict certificate verification procedures, including checking certificate validity periods, verifying certificate signatures, and ensuring that certificates are issued by trusted authorities. Additionally, organizations should implement network security controls to monitor for suspicious certificate usage patterns and ensure that all network communications are properly secured. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of the certificate validation logic to prevent similar issues in future releases and adherence to mobile security best practices as outlined in industry standards such as the OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines.