CVE-2014-6952 in Manga Facts
Summary
by MITRE
The Manga Facts (aka app.mangafacts.ar) 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-2014-6952 resides within the Manga Facts Android application version 1.0, specifically targeting the application's cryptographic security implementation. This flaw represents a critical failure in the application's secure communication protocol where the software fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections. The absence of certificate verification creates a significant security gap that enables malicious actors to execute man-in-the-middle attacks against users of the application. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of data transmitted between the mobile application and remote servers, potentially exposing sensitive user information to unauthorized parties.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the application's improper handling of SSL/TLS certificate validation mechanisms. When an Android application establishes secure connections to remote servers, it should verify the server's X.509 certificate against a trusted certificate authority to ensure the authenticity of the connection. The Manga Facts application bypasses this critical verification step, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This flaw aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" in security protocols, and represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's trust model. The vulnerability operates at the transport layer security level, where the application should enforce certificate pinning or proper certificate chain validation but instead accepts any certificate presented by the server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it creates opportunities for comprehensive attack vectors that can compromise user privacy and system integrity. Attackers can exploit this weakness to decrypt and modify communications between the application and its servers, potentially gaining access to user credentials, personal information, or other sensitive data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in mobile environments where users may connect to unsecured networks, increasing the attack surface for man-in-the-middle operations. According to ATT&CK framework domain ST05.001, this weakness enables adversaries to perform network sniffing and traffic manipulation activities, while also supporting credential theft and data exfiltration operations. The attack requires minimal sophistication and can be executed against any user of the vulnerable application, making it a high-risk exposure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address the core cryptographic implementation flaw within the application. The primary recommendation involves implementing proper X.509 certificate validation procedures that verify certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities. This includes enabling certificate pinning for critical endpoints and ensuring that the application enforces strict certificate validation before establishing secure connections. Security patches should implement certificate verification mechanisms that align with industry standards such as those outlined in RFC 5280 for X.509 certificate validation. Organizations should also consider implementing certificate transparency measures and regularly updating certificate trust stores to maintain secure communication channels. Additionally, the application should be designed to fail securely when certificate validation fails, preventing the establishment of insecure connections and alerting users to potential security issues. This remediation approach addresses the underlying CWE-295 vulnerability while providing comprehensive protection against man-in-the-middle attacks as defined in the ATT&CK framework's network manipulation domains.