CVE-2014-6871 in Hogs Fly Crazy
Summary
by MITRE
The Hogs Fly Crazy (aka com.pedrojayme.hogsflycrazy) application 1.0.0 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 • 09/20/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6871 affects the Hogs Fly Crazy Android application version 1.0.0, representing a critical security flaw in the application's cryptographic implementation. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," making it a direct descendant of well-established cryptographic security weaknesses that have plagued mobile applications for years. The flaw essentially allows the application to accept any SSL certificate without proper verification, rendering the entire transport layer security mechanism ineffective.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests when the Android application establishes connections to remote servers using SSL/TLS protocols. Instead of performing proper certificate chain validation, hostname verification, or trust store checking, the application accepts any certificate presented by the server. This behavior enables man-in-the-middle attackers to intercept communications by presenting a maliciously crafted certificate that appears legitimate to the vulnerable application. The attack typically involves the attacker positioning themselves between the user and the legitimate server, intercepting traffic and presenting a forged certificate that the application accepts without question. This flaw directly violates fundamental security principles of secure communication and demonstrates poor implementation of the Android networking stack's SSL/TLS capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, potentially enabling comprehensive attack scenarios that can compromise user privacy and sensitive information. Attackers can exploit this weakness to capture session tokens, personal identification information, financial data, and other sensitive user credentials transmitted through the application's network connections. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users often connect to untrusted networks such as public Wi-Fi hotspots, making the attack surface significantly larger. According to ATT&CK framework technique T1041, this vulnerability enables network sniffing and data interception capabilities that can be leveraged for further exploitation. The compromised application essentially becomes a conduit for attackers to harvest sensitive information, making it a prime target for credential theft and data exfiltration operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers should implement certificate pinning techniques that explicitly validate certificate fingerprints against known good certificates, ensuring that only trusted certificates are accepted. The application must perform complete certificate chain validation including hostname verification, expiration date checking, and proper trust store validation. Security measures should include implementing the Android TrustManager interface correctly, utilizing certificate pinning libraries, and avoiding the use of custom trust managers that bypass standard validation. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime monitoring to detect potential certificate manipulation attempts and establish proper network security policies that include regular security assessments of mobile applications. The remediation process should follow industry standards such as NIST SP 800-52 for certificate management and ensure compliance with mobile security frameworks that enforce proper cryptographic implementation practices.