CVE-2014-6798 in McMaster Marauders
Summary
by MITRE
The McMaster Marauders (aka com.weever.marauders) application 1.0.1 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 • 09/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6798 affects the McMaster Marauders Android application version 1.0.1, representing a critical security flaw in the application's secure communication implementation. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates during network connections, creating a significant attack surface that undermines the fundamental security guarantees of encrypted communications. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process within the application's network layer, where it fails to perform essential X.509 certificate validation checks that are standard practice in secure mobile applications. This flaw directly violates established security protocols and best practices for mobile application development, as it allows malicious actors to establish fraudulent connections without proper authentication.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient certificate validation, where the application accepts any certificate presented by a server without performing the required verification steps including certificate chain validation, issuer verification, and trust anchor checking. This weakness enables man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can intercept communications between the mobile application and legitimate servers by presenting forged certificates that appear valid to the unverified client. The vulnerability operates at the transport layer security level, specifically within the SSL/TLS handshake process where certificate validation should occur. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in the validation of cryptographic certificates, specifically CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation. The attack vector leverages the fundamental trust model of public key infrastructure where applications must verify certificate authenticity to prevent impersonation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive information that may include user credentials, personal data, financial information, or institutional data depending on the application's functionality. Mobile applications that rely on secure communication channels for authentication, data transmission, or service access become particularly vulnerable when they fail to validate server certificates. The attack scenario involves an attacker positioned between the mobile device and the target server, capable of presenting a malicious certificate that the application accepts without verification, thereby establishing a secure-looking connection that the attacker can monitor and manipulate. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1573.002 which covers "Tunneling via Secure Remote Access Tools" and represents a failure to implement proper network security controls. The consequences include potential data breaches, unauthorized access to protected resources, and compromise of user privacy and institutional security.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's network communication layer. Developers must ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform comprehensive certificate validation including chain of trust verification, expiration date checks, and proper issuer validation against trusted certificate authorities. The application should implement certificate pinning where possible, storing expected certificate fingerprints or public keys to verify against presented certificates. Security updates should include proper error handling for certificate validation failures, ensuring that connections are terminated when certificate verification fails rather than proceeding with unverified communications. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior and establish secure coding practices that mandate certificate validation for all network communications. The fix must address the root cause by implementing proper SSL/TLS certificate validation according to industry standards such as those specified in NIST SP 800-52 and RFC 5280, ensuring that applications maintain the security assurances that users expect from mobile applications.