CVE-2014-6801 in frank matano
Summary
by MITRE
The frank matano (aka com.frank.matano) application 1.0 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-2014-6801 affects the frank matano Android application version 1.0, 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 surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise the integrity of communications between the mobile client and remote servers. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process, which is fundamental to establishing trust in secure network communications and preventing unauthorized parties from intercepting or manipulating sensitive data transfers.
From a technical perspective, the flaw manifests as an absence of proper certificate chain validation and trust verification mechanisms within the application's SSL implementation. When the frank matano application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it fails to perform essential checks such as certificate expiration validation, issuer verification, and public key matching against trusted certificate authorities. This omission allows attackers to generate and present malicious certificates that appear legitimate to the application, effectively bypassing the security controls designed to protect against unauthorized access. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which describes improper certificate validation in secure communications, and represents a classic example of insufficient certificate, key, and trust validation that undermines the entire SSL/TLS security framework.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise not only sensitive user information but also potentially allow attackers to manipulate application functionality. An attacker positioned between the mobile device and the server can present a forged certificate that the application accepts as legitimate, enabling them to decrypt and modify communications, inject malicious content, or redirect users to fraudulent endpoints. This weakness particularly affects applications that handle personal data, financial transactions, or confidential communications, as the compromised trust relationship can lead to complete credential theft, session hijacking, or data exfiltration. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1573.002, which covers "Encrypted Channel" and specifically addresses the exploitation of weak certificate validation in mobile applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-6801 must focus on implementing robust certificate validation mechanisms within the application's secure communication layer. Developers should ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform comprehensive certificate verification including chain of trust validation, expiration date checks, and proper hostname verification against the certificate's subject alternative names. The application should implement certificate pinning techniques to prevent the acceptance of fraudulent certificates, even when they appear valid from a technical standpoint. Additionally, the implementation should utilize established security libraries and frameworks that properly handle certificate validation rather than relying on custom or incomplete SSL/TLS implementations. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior and establish regular security audits to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in mobile applications. The fix should align with industry best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and the OWASP Mobile Security Project recommendations for secure communication in mobile applications.