CVE-2014-6874 in ModSim Connected
Summary
by MITRE
The ModSim Connected (aka com.concursive.modsim) application 2.0 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-2014-6874 resides within the ModSim Connected Android application version 2.0, specifically manifesting as a critical flaw in the application's secure communication protocols. This issue represents a fundamental failure in the application's implementation of SSL/TLS security mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to compromise the integrity of data transmission between the mobile device and remote servers. The application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during the SSL handshake process constitutes a severe security oversight that undermines the entire purpose of secure communication channels.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the application's absence of certificate validation procedures during the secure connection establishment phase. When an Android application establishes an SSL connection to a remote server, it should verify the server's X.509 certificate against trusted certificate authorities to ensure the authenticity of the endpoint. The ModSim Connected application bypasses this critical validation step, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This flaw aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" in security protocols, and represents a direct violation of secure communication best practices established by industry standards. The vulnerability creates a man-in-the-middle attack vector where adversaries can intercept and manipulate communications without detection.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, potentially enabling attackers to access sensitive user information, credentials, and proprietary data transmitted through the application. Mobile applications that handle sensitive information such as financial data, personal identifiers, or enterprise communications become particularly vulnerable when they fail to implement proper certificate validation. The attack surface is further expanded because the vulnerability affects the application's core security architecture rather than just specific features, meaning all communication channels within the application are potentially compromised. This weakness can result in data breaches, identity theft, and unauthorized access to systems that rely on the application for secure data exchange. The vulnerability directly maps to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1041 category for "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" and T1566 for "Phishing" as attackers can leverage this weakness to establish persistent access to victim systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL communication stack. The development team must implement certificate pinning techniques that verify certificate fingerprints against pre-approved values, ensuring that only trusted certificates are accepted for secure connections. Additionally, the application should incorporate proper certificate chain validation procedures that verify certificates against trusted root certificate authorities. Organizations using this application should consider implementing network-level monitoring to detect anomalous SSL traffic patterns that might indicate certificate manipulation attempts. The solution must also address the underlying architectural design flaw by ensuring that all future security updates include comprehensive certificate validation procedures. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following security development lifecycle practices and emphasizes the need for regular security assessments of mobile applications to prevent similar issues in the future, particularly in applications handling sensitive data where certificate validation is paramount for maintaining trust and security in client-server communications.