CVE-2014-6916 in mama.cn
Summary
by MITRE
The mama.cn (aka cn.ziipin.mama.ui) application 1.02 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-2014-6916 affects the mama.cn Android application version 1.02, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's security architecture that directly undermines the integrity of encrypted communications between the mobile client and remote servers. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS handshakes, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the application's certificate verification process, where it fails to perform proper validation of SSL server certificates against established trust anchors. This deficiency allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The absence of certificate pinning, trust chain validation, and proper certificate attribute checking creates multiple vectors for exploitation. According to CWE-295, this vulnerability maps directly to improper certificate validation, while the ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a credential access technique through network protocol manipulation and certificate spoofing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to establish persistent surveillance capabilities over user communications. Mobile applications that fail to validate SSL certificates create opportunities for attackers to capture sensitive user information including personal data, authentication credentials, financial information, and private communications. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security assurances provided by SSL/TLS protocols, potentially allowing attackers to modify data in transit, inject malicious content, or perform session hijacking attacks. This weakness is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where applications often handle sensitive personal and financial data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-6916 require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's networking stack. Security measures should include enabling certificate pinning to prevent the acceptance of unauthorized certificates, implementing strict certificate chain validation, and ensuring proper trust anchor verification. Organizations should also consider deploying certificate transparency monitoring, implementing network traffic inspection capabilities, and establishing secure coding practices that enforce SSL/TLS certificate validation. The remediation process must address the root cause by ensuring that all SSL/TLS connections undergo proper certificate verification before establishing secure communication channels, as outlined in industry best practices for mobile application security and secure coding standards.