CVE-2014-6957 in scottcolibmn
Summary
by MITRE
The scottcolibmn (aka com.bredir.boopsie.scottlib) application 4.5.110 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-2014-6957 affects the scottcolibmn Android application version 4.5.110, specifically targeting its implementation of secure communication protocols. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the application's approach to establishing trust with remote servers through SSL/TLS connections. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates, which are essential components of the public key infrastructure that ensures secure communication between client and server. When an application does not verify these certificates, it essentially removes one of the fundamental security mechanisms designed to prevent unauthorized parties from impersonating legitimate services.
The technical flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform certificate pinning or proper certificate validation during SSL handshake processes. This allows attackers to execute man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. The certificate validation process typically involves checking the certificate's signature against trusted certificate authorities, verifying the certificate's validity period, and ensuring the certificate's subject matches the expected server identity. In this case, the application bypasses these crucial verification steps, creating an opening for malicious actors to intercept and manipulate communications between the mobile application and its backend services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables attackers to obtain sensitive information through crafted certificates that can masquerade as legitimate services. Mobile applications that rely on SSL/TLS for protecting user data, authentication tokens, and confidential communications become particularly vulnerable when they fail to validate server certificates. This weakness can lead to credential theft, session hijacking, data exfiltration, and unauthorized access to user accounts or corporate resources. The vulnerability particularly affects applications that handle personal information, financial data, or business-critical communications where the integrity and confidentiality of data transmission are paramount.
The security implications align with CWE-295, which addresses "Improper Certificate Validation," and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through phishing attacks that exploit such certificate validation flaws. Organizations should implement certificate pinning mechanisms to prevent the use of unauthorized certificates, maintain up-to-date certificate trust stores, and regularly audit their mobile applications for proper SSL/TLS implementation. Additionally, developers should ensure that all network communications validate certificate chains against trusted authorities and implement proper error handling for certificate validation failures. The vulnerability underscores the importance of following secure coding practices and adhering to mobile security frameworks that mandate proper certificate validation to prevent such critical security gaps in mobile applications.