CVE-2014-6790 in INVEX
Summary
by MITRE
The INVEX (aka com.mobilatolye.keyinternet) application 1.0.2 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-2014-6790 affects the INVEX Android application version 1.0.2, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's cryptographic security measures, as it fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise the integrity of communications between the mobile application and remote servers. This vulnerability directly impacts the fundamental security principle of authentication, where the application cannot reliably confirm the identity of the servers it connects to, making it susceptible to various forms of cryptographic attacks.
The technical implementation flaw stems from the application's failure to perform proper certificate chain validation and trust verification processes. When an Android application establishes SSL connections, it should validate the server's certificate against a trusted certificate authority and verify that the certificate has not been tampered with or is not expired. The INVEX application bypasses these critical security checks, allowing attackers to present forged certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This weakness aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic assurance that secure communication channels provide, rendering the SSL/TLS protection mechanisms ineffective against man-in-the-middle attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive attack scenarios that can compromise user data and system integrity. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting malicious certificates that the application accepts without verification. This capability allows them to decrypt, modify, or redirect communications between the mobile application and its intended servers. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in contexts where sensitive information flows through the application, such as financial transactions, personal data handling, or corporate communication channels. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1041, which involves data compression and encryption to avoid detection, and T1566, which covers credential access through social engineering or network attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-6790 require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques that explicitly define which certificates or certificate authorities the application will trust, rather than relying on default trust stores that may contain compromised certificates. The application must perform comprehensive certificate chain validation, including checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate signatures, and ensuring certificates are issued by trusted authorities. Security best practices dictate that applications should implement certificate verification against a known good set of certificates or certificate authorities, and should reject any connections that fail these validation checks. Additionally, implementing proper error handling for certificate validation failures ensures that the application does not proceed with unverified connections, thereby maintaining the security posture of the overall system and protecting users from potential data breaches or credential theft attacks.