CVE-2014-6948 in professional Al Mohtarif
Summary
by MITRE
The TH3 professional Al Mohtarif (aka com.th3professional.almohtarif) 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.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6948 affects the TH3 professional Al Mohtarif Android application version 1.0, representing a critical security flaw in the application's cryptographic implementation. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that undermines the fundamental security assurances provided by secure communication protocols. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification mechanism that should establish trust between the mobile application and remote servers, leaving users exposed to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise sensitive data transmission.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of certificate validation within the application's SSL implementation, which directly violates established security protocols and best practices for mobile application development. This absence of certificate verification creates a scenario where attackers can present maliciously crafted certificates that the application will accept without proper authentication checks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses the improper certificate validation issue, and represents a critical failure in the application's trust model. When an application fails to verify certificate chains, it essentially removes the cryptographic protection that ensures data integrity and confidentiality between the client and server endpoints.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data exposure, as it enables attackers to establish fraudulent communication channels that can intercept, modify, or redirect sensitive information transmitted between the mobile application and backend services. This weakness allows adversaries to perform man-in-the-middle attacks that can capture user credentials, personal information, financial data, or any other sensitive content that flows through the insecure connection. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no special privileges or advanced techniques from the attacker - simply presenting a forged certificate that the application will accept without question, making the vulnerability exploitable across a wide range of threat actors. This vulnerability directly maps to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1041 tactic for data encryption for exfiltration and T1566 for credential harvesting through network infiltration.
The implications of this vulnerability are particularly severe for applications handling sensitive user data, as it effectively nullifies the security guarantees provided by SSL/TLS protocols that are fundamental to secure mobile communications. Mobile applications must implement proper certificate pinning or validation mechanisms to prevent such attacks, and the absence of these protections in the TH3 professional Al Mohtarif application creates an environment where attackers can seamlessly impersonate legitimate services. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing robust certificate validation in mobile applications, as it represents a failure in the application's core security architecture that undermines all other defensive measures. Organizations should immediately implement certificate pinning strategies, ensure proper certificate validation, and conduct comprehensive security assessments of mobile applications to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities that could expose users to similar risks.