CVE-2014-6931 in Treves Dance Center
Summary
by MITRE
The Treves Dance Center (aka com.myapphone.android.myapptrvesdancecenter) application 1.0 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 • 09/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6931 affects the Treves Dance Center Android application version 1.0, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communications. This issue falls under the category of improper certificate validation, where the application fails to properly verify X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers during secure connections. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks against unsuspecting users. According to CWE-295, this vulnerability specifically relates to the improper validation of certificate authorities, which directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of data transmitted between the mobile application and remote servers.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper SSL/TLS certificate validation, which is a fundamental security mechanism designed to ensure that mobile applications are communicating with legitimate servers rather than malicious intermediaries. When an application does not verify X.509 certificates, it essentially trusts any certificate presented by a server, regardless of its authenticity or legitimacy. This weakness allows attackers to generate or obtain fraudulent certificates that appear valid to the application, enabling them to intercept and potentially modify communications between the user's device and the intended server. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile applications where users may be transmitting sensitive personal information, payment details, or other confidential data that could be exposed to unauthorized parties.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the application and creates opportunities for various attack vectors within the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform session hijacking, data exfiltration, and credential theft operations. The vulnerability affects not only the immediate confidentiality of user data but also the overall trust model of the application, potentially leading to reputational damage and legal consequences for the application developer. Users who believe they are communicating securely with legitimate servers may unknowingly share sensitive information with attackers who have successfully spoofed the server identity through certificate manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-6931 should focus on implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's network communication stack. Developers must ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform thorough certificate verification, including checking certificate expiration dates, validating certificate chains against trusted root authorities, and implementing certificate pinning where appropriate. The application should enforce certificate validation errors and refuse to establish connections when certificate verification fails. Security best practices recommend implementing certificate pinning to prevent attackers from using fraudulent certificates even if they can obtain valid ones, as outlined in industry standards for mobile application security. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in the application's cryptographic implementation.