CVE-2014-6837 in Hillside
Summary
by MITRE
The Hillside (aka com.hillside.hermanus) application 1.1 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-2014-6837 resides within the Hillside application version 1.1 for Android platforms, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms. This issue falls under the category of improper certificate validation, which is classified as CWE-295 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The application fails to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications, creating a fundamental weakness in the cryptographic security infrastructure that protects user data.
The technical flaw manifests when the application establishes secure connections to remote servers using SSL/TLS protocols. Instead of performing proper certificate chain validation, hostname verification, or signature verification, the application accepts any certificate presented by a server without sufficient scrutiny. This weakness enables man-in-the-middle attackers to exploit the trust relationship by presenting a maliciously crafted certificate that appears legitimate to the vulnerable application. The attacker can then intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the user's device and the server, including personal data, authentication credentials, and confidential communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass comprehensive security compromise of the application's communication channels. Users interacting with the Hillside application become vulnerable to various attack vectors including credential harvesting, session hijacking, and data manipulation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the transport layer security validation, meaning that all sensitive information exchanged through the application's network communications becomes potentially accessible to malicious actors. This flaw directly violates the core principles of secure communication as defined by industry standards and best practices.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL/TLS certificate validation procedures within the application. The fix should involve enforcing certificate chain validation, performing hostname verification against the certificate's subject alternative names, and implementing proper signature verification mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate pinning techniques to further strengthen the security posture. According to ATT&CK framework category T1573, this vulnerability represents a technique for bypassing security controls through certificate manipulation. The remediation process must ensure that all network communications are validated against trusted certificate authorities and that the application maintains up-to-date trust stores. Additionally, developers should implement comprehensive logging and monitoring to detect potential certificate validation failures and unauthorized certificate usage attempts.