CVE-2014-6818 in OHBM 20th Annual Meeting
Summary
by MITRE
The OHBM 20th Annual Meeting (aka com.coreapps.android.followme.ohbm2014) application 6.0.9.2 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 • 09/18/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-6818 represents a critical security flaw in the OHBM 20th Annual Meeting Android application version 6.0.9.2. This application, designed for conference attendees to access meeting information and networking features, fails to implement proper SSL certificate verification mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from the application's inability to validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure to perform certificate chain validation and trust verification processes that are fundamental to secure communication protocols. When the application establishes SSL connections with its backend servers, it does not validate the certificate's authenticity, issuer, or trust chain, nor does it verify that the certificate matches the expected hostname. This omission allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and represents a classic example of weak cryptographic implementation that undermines the entire SSL/TLS security framework.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to completely compromise the confidentiality and integrity of communications between the mobile application and its servers. Users connecting to the conference application may unknowingly transmit sensitive information through compromised channels, potentially exposing personal data, login credentials, or proprietary conference materials. The vulnerability affects all users of the application who establish SSL connections, making it particularly concerning for a conference application that may handle attendee information, networking data, and potentially sensitive research materials. This weakness also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046, which describes network service scanning that can be leveraged to identify vulnerable endpoints, and T1566, which covers social engineering attacks that can exploit such security gaps.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address the fundamental cryptographic implementation flaw in the application. The most effective approach involves implementing proper certificate pinning mechanisms that validate server certificates against known good certificates or public keys, thereby preventing the use of forged certificates even if they are technically valid. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate transparency checks and regular security audits of mobile applications to identify similar vulnerabilities. The fix requires comprehensive code review of the SSL/TLS implementation, ensuring that all certificate validation processes are properly enforced and that the application maintains a secure communication channel with its backend services. Additionally, developers should implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures and ensure that the application terminates connections when certificate validation fails, rather than proceeding with potentially compromised communications.