CVE-2014-6816 in WISDOM
Summary
by MITRE
The WISDOM (aka lvtu99.com.nescmxiaoniuniu) application 2.1 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 • 09/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6816 affects the WISDOM application version 2.1 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly implement X.509 certificate verification during secure communications, creating a significant attack surface that compromises the integrity of encrypted connections. The vulnerability specifically targets the mobile application's network security implementation, where it neglects to validate the authenticity of server certificates presented during SSL handshakes.
This technical flaw falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 in the Common Weakness Enumeration system. The absence of certificate verification means that the application accepts any certificate presented by a server without confirming its legitimacy through proper certificate chains, trusted certificate authorities, or cryptographic validation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by presenting a maliciously crafted certificate that appears to be from a legitimate server, thereby bypassing the application's security controls and establishing a false sense of security for users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise sensitive user data and communications. When attackers successfully exploit this vulnerability, they can intercept and modify data transmitted between the mobile application and backend servers, potentially gaining access to personal information, login credentials, financial data, or other confidential content. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles of secure communication and can lead to data breaches, identity theft, and unauthorized access to user accounts. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected application version and persists regardless of network conditions or security settings configured on the device.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1046 category for network service scanning and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. The attack vector leverages the trust model inherent in SSL/TLS protocols by exploiting the application's failure to validate certificate chains, making it particularly dangerous in environments where sensitive data is transmitted. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability represents a classic example of insufficient cryptographic validation, where the application's security controls fail to implement proper certificate pinning or validation mechanisms. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including certificate pinning, proper certificate validation routines, and regular security assessments of mobile applications to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. The remediation process requires developers to integrate robust certificate verification logic that validates certificate chains against trusted authorities and implements proper error handling for certificate validation failures.