CVE-2014-6833 in Dealer
Summary
by MITRE
The AuctionTrac Dealer (aka com.adesa.dealer.phone) application 2.0.3 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-2014-6833 affects the AuctionTrac Dealer Android application version 2.0.3, 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 flaw specifically impacts the application's certificate verification mechanism, which is a fundamental component of secure network communication.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in secure communication implementations. The application's failure to verify SSL server certificates means that it accepts any certificate presented by a server without proper authentication, effectively disabling the security controls that X.509 certificates are designed to provide. This weakness enables man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can establish fraudulent SSL connections with the application, intercepting or modifying sensitive data transmitted between the mobile device and backend servers. The vulnerability exists at the transport layer security implementation level, where the application should be enforcing certificate pinning or proper certificate chain validation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for users of the AuctionTrac Dealer application, as it allows attackers to obtain sensitive information through crafted certificates. The impact extends beyond simple data interception to include potential credential theft, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to dealer-specific information. Attackers could exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate servers and gain access to confidential business data, customer information, or proprietary auction details. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in the automotive dealer context where sensitive financial and personal data is routinely transmitted through mobile applications.
The attack vector for this vulnerability follows established patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1046 technique for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through social engineering. Attackers can leverage this flaw by positioning themselves between the mobile application and its intended server, presenting a malicious certificate that appears legitimate to the unverified client. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability represents a failure in the application's security architecture and highlights the importance of implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms. The issue also demonstrates the critical need for mobile application developers to follow secure coding practices and implement robust cryptographic protocols.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate code updates to implement proper X.509 certificate verification, including certificate pinning mechanisms and certificate chain validation. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect suspicious SSL connections and consider deploying additional security controls such as network segmentation and intrusion detection systems. The remediation process requires comprehensive testing of the certificate validation logic and potentially implementing certificate revocation checking to ensure that compromised certificates cannot be used to exploit the vulnerability. Additionally, developers should conduct thorough security reviews of all cryptographic implementations to prevent similar issues in future releases.