CVE-2014-6944 in mitfahrgelegenheit.at
Summary
by MITRE
The mitfahrgelegenheit.at (aka com.carpooling.android.at) application 2.3.0 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 • 09/23/2024
The CVE-2014-6944 vulnerability affects the mitfahrgelegenheit.at Android application version 2.3.0, exposing a critical security flaw in the application's SSL/TLS certificate verification mechanism. This vulnerability represents a classic example of improper certificate validation that fundamentally undermines the security of encrypted communications between the mobile client and remote servers. The application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates presented by SSL servers, creating a dangerous trust relationship that adversaries can exploit to establish fraudulent connections.
This security weakness directly corresponds to CWE-295, which describes "Improper Certificate Validation," a well-documented vulnerability pattern in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog that specifically addresses the failure to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates. The flaw allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects mobile applications that likely handle sensitive user data including personal information, location data, and potentially financial details related to carpooling services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception to encompass complete trust relationship subversion. Attackers can establish connections with the application and present malicious certificates that bypass the security checks, enabling them to capture, modify, or redirect sensitive communications. This creates a pathway for attackers to obtain user credentials, personal information, location data, and potentially financial details that users might transmit through the application. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users may connect to unsecured networks, increasing the attack surface and likelihood of exploitation.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability aligns with several techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically targeting the credential access and defense evasion categories. The ability to spoof servers and obtain sensitive information represents a significant threat to user privacy and data integrity. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal sophistication and can be automated, making it attractive to threat actors. Organizations should consider implementing certificate pinning mechanisms as a mitigation strategy, which would require the application to validate certificates against a predefined set of trusted certificates rather than accepting any valid certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate SSL/TLS security practices in the application's network communication layer. Proper certificate validation should include checking certificate expiration dates, verifying certificate chains, and ensuring certificates are issued by trusted Certificate Authorities. The absence of these checks creates an attack vector that can be exploited by any attacker who can intercept network traffic and present a forged certificate. Security best practices dictate that mobile applications must implement robust certificate validation mechanisms to prevent such vulnerabilities and maintain user trust in the security of their communications.