CVE-2014-6792 in Suriname Radio
Summary
by MITRE
The Suriname Radio (aka com.wordbox.surinameRadio) application 1.5 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.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6792 affects the Suriname Radio Android application version 1.5, representing a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This issue manifests as a failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that exposes users to sophisticated man-in-the-middle reconnaissance and data interception activities. The application's insecure certificate verification mechanism fundamentally undermines the cryptographic security assurances that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide, leaving sensitive user data and communications vulnerable to unauthorized access and manipulation.
The technical flaw resides in the application's cryptographic implementation where it fails to perform proper certificate chain validation and trust verification processes. This weakness aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses issues related to improper certificate validation and trust management in cryptographic systems. When the application establishes SSL connections to remote servers, it accepts any certificate presented without verifying the certificate authority, expiration dates, or certificate chain integrity. This vulnerability enables attackers to perform successful man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting maliciously crafted certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, thereby bypassing the essential security measures that should protect data transmission between the client and server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass comprehensive security compromise of user communications and potential access to sensitive information. Attackers can exploit this weakness to eavesdrop on user sessions, capture login credentials, access personal data, and manipulate transmitted information without detection. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for an application that likely handles user preferences, streaming content access, and potentially personal identifiers, as all of these elements become accessible to malicious actors. This flaw directly maps to tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1041, which covers data encryption for impact, and T1566, which addresses credential access through various attack vectors including man-in-the-middle techniques.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements in the application's security design. The primary solution involves implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms that verify certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities, check certificate expiration dates, and validate certificate subject names against expected server identities. Security patches should enforce certificate pinning where appropriate, ensuring that only pre-approved certificates or certificate authorities are accepted. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate transparency monitoring and regular security audits to identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications. The fix aligns with industry best practices outlined in OWASP Mobile Top 10 and NIST SP 800-52 guidelines for mobile application security, which emphasize the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation and certificate management in protecting mobile applications from man-in-the-middle attacks and ensuring secure communication channels.