CVE-2014-6909 in Coca-Cola FM Peru
Summary
by MITRE
The Coca-Cola FM Peru (aka com.enyetech.radio.coca_cola.fm_pe) application 2.0.41716 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-2014-6909 affects the Coca-Cola FM Peru mobile application version 2.0.41716 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanism. This issue falls under the category of weak cryptographic practices and certificate verification failures that compromise the integrity of secure communications between mobile applications and remote servers. The application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates creates a significant attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors to establish fraudulent communication channels with unsuspecting users.
This vulnerability stems from the application's improper implementation of SSL/TLS certificate validation, where the mobile application accepts any certificate presented by a server without performing the necessary verification steps required for secure communication. The flaw essentially disables the certificate pinning mechanism that should ensure the authenticity of the server's identity. According to CWE-295, this represents a weakness in certificate validation that allows for man-in-the-middle attacks, where attackers can intercept and manipulate communications between the mobile application and legitimate servers. The absence of proper certificate checking mechanisms means that the application cannot distinguish between legitimate servers and malicious impostors, creating an environment where sensitive user data can be intercepted and exfiltrated.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, affecting both user privacy and data integrity. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform man-in-the-middle attacks, potentially intercepting user credentials, personal information, or other sensitive data transmitted through the application. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which involves the use of man-in-the-middle attacks to intercept and manipulate network communications. Users of the Coca-Cola FM Peru application may unknowingly transmit their information to compromised servers, while the application itself becomes a vector for data exfiltration and potential service disruption. This weakness undermines the fundamental security assumptions of secure mobile communications and can lead to credential theft, session hijacking, and other advanced persistent threats.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from both application developers and security administrators. The primary remediation involves implementing proper SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms that enforce certificate chain verification, including hostname checking and certificate expiration validation. Organizations should implement certificate pinning techniques to ensure that only trusted certificates are accepted, as outlined in industry best practices for mobile application security. The application should be updated to include proper certificate validation routines that check certificate signatures, issuer information, and validity periods. Additionally, security administrators should monitor network traffic for suspicious activities and consider implementing network-based detection measures to identify potential exploitation attempts. The fix should align with OWASP Mobile Top 10 recommendations for secure communication and should be validated through proper security testing before deployment to ensure that the certificate validation mechanisms function correctly across different network environments and server configurations.