CVE-2014-6905 in H2O Human Harmony Organization
Summary
by MITRE
The H2O Human Harmony Organization (aka com.netpia.ha.theh2o) application 1.6.5 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 • 09/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6905 affects the H2O Human Harmony Organization Android application version 1.6.5, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification process. This weakness resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure communications. The vulnerability represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's cryptographic security implementation, creating an avenue for malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the mobile client and remote servers. The flaw specifically impacts the certificate validation mechanism that should ensure the authenticity and integrity of SSL connections, allowing attackers to establish fraudulent secure connections without proper authentication.
From a technical perspective, the vulnerability stems from improper implementation of SSL/TLS certificate validation within the Android application's network communication stack. The application fails to perform certificate chain validation, hostname verification, or signature validation checks that are essential components of secure SSL/TLS connections. This weak implementation allows man-in-the-middle attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application, effectively bypassing the security controls designed to protect sensitive data transmission. The vulnerability manifests when the application accepts any certificate without verifying its trust chain, issuer credentials, or cryptographic validity, thereby undermining the entire public key infrastructure that SSL/TLS relies upon for secure communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables attackers to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the mobile application and its backend servers. This includes but is not limited to user credentials, personal data, financial information, and other confidential communications that should remain protected during transmission. The vulnerability creates an attack surface that allows adversaries to establish fraudulent secure connections, making it appear to users that they are communicating securely with legitimate servers while actually being connected to attacker-controlled intermediaries. This capability significantly undermines user trust and exposes organizations to potential data breaches, compliance violations, and reputational damage. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users may be accessing sensitive applications over untrusted networks, such as public wi-fi connections.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of improper certificate validation, which aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" in security protocols. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1041, which involves data from network connections, as attackers can intercept and exfiltrate sensitive information through the compromised SSL/TLS implementation. Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper certificate pinning mechanisms, ensuring that the application validates certificate chains against trusted authorities, and implementing hostname verification to prevent certificate spoofing attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous certificate behavior and ensure that all SSL/TLS connections are properly validated before establishing trust relationships with remote servers. The remediation process requires comprehensive code review and implementation of industry-standard certificate validation procedures that adhere to established security frameworks and best practices for mobile application security.