CVE-2014-6946 in Re:kyu
Summary
by MITRE
The Re:kyu (aka com.appzone619) 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 • 09/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6946 resides within the Re:kyu Android application version 1.0, specifically manifesting as a critical flaw in the application's secure communication protocols. This issue represents a fundamental failure in the application's implementation of SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms, creating a significant security risk for users who interact with the application's network services. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in secure communication implementations. The application's failure to properly verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers creates an exploitable condition that directly violates industry standards for secure network communication and authentication.
The technical flaw in this vulnerability stems from the application's complete omission of certificate verification procedures during SSL/TLS handshakes. When the Re:kyu application establishes connections to remote servers, it fails to validate the server certificates against trusted certificate authorities or perform proper certificate chain validation. This absence of certificate validation means that attackers can successfully perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The attack vector operates through the manipulation of the SSL/TLS handshake process, where the application accepts any certificate without proper cryptographic verification, essentially disabling the security assurances that X.509 certificates are designed to provide.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, creating a comprehensive security risk that can lead to significant data breaches and user compromise. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can impersonate legitimate servers and establish fraudulent communication channels with the application, potentially gaining access to sensitive user information including personal data, authentication credentials, and any information transmitted through the application's network connections. The vulnerability's implications align with ATT&CK technique T1041, which describes data compression and encryption for exfiltration, as attackers can leverage the compromised communication channels to exfiltrate user data. Additionally, this weakness can enable credential theft and session hijacking attacks, as the application provides no protection against certificate-based authentication failures that would normally prevent such attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's network communication code. The recommended approach involves implementing comprehensive SSL/TLS certificate verification that includes certificate chain validation, proper trust store management, and cryptographic signature verification. Organizations should ensure that the application validates certificate expiration dates, checks certificate revocation status through OCSP or CRL mechanisms, and maintains updated certificate authorities for trust verification. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of following secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for mobile application security. The fix requires complete replacement of the current SSL/TLS handling code with implementations that properly enforce certificate validation, including the use of platform-provided certificate validation APIs rather than custom implementations that may bypass security checks. Without such remediation, the application remains vulnerable to active network attacks that can compromise user privacy and data integrity.