CVE-2014-6969 in Deltin Suites
Summary
by MITRE
The Deltin Suites (aka com.DeltinSuites) application 3.4.1 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 • 09/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-6969 affects the Deltin Suites Android application version 3.4.1, representing a critical security flaw in the application's implementation of secure communication protocols. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability specifically impacts the application's ability to establish trust with remote servers, fundamentally undermining the security model that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the application's improper handling of certificate verification processes within its SSL implementation. When the application establishes connections to remote servers, it fails to perform the essential certificate validation steps that should confirm the authenticity and legitimacy of the server's identity. This omission allows attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear valid to the application, enabling them to intercept and manipulate communications between users and legitimate servers. The flaw essentially disables the certificate pinning mechanism that should protect against certificate forgery and impersonation attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes users to severe man-in-the-middle attacks where attackers can seamlessly position themselves between the application and target servers. The implications extend beyond simple data interception to include potential credential theft, session hijacking, and unauthorized access to sensitive information that users expect to be protected through secure communication channels. Attackers can exploit this weakness to eavesdrop on conversations, modify data in transit, and potentially gain access to user accounts or personal information that flows through the vulnerable application. The impact is particularly concerning given that the application operates on mobile devices where users may be accessing sensitive data over untrusted networks.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which specifically addresses the improper certificate validation issue, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices that should be implemented in all applications handling sensitive data. The flaw also maps to ATT&CK technique T1041, which covers data obfuscation and tunneling methods that attackers can use to bypass security controls. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including certificate pinning, proper SSL/TLS configuration, and comprehensive security testing of mobile applications before deployment. Additionally, developers should ensure that all network communications validate certificate chains properly and implement robust error handling for certificate validation failures to prevent the application from proceeding with insecure connections.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the critical importance of proper SSL/TLS implementation in mobile applications and demonstrate how seemingly simple security oversights can create substantial risks for users. This flaw underscores the necessity for comprehensive security testing, code reviews, and adherence to established security frameworks such as the OWASP Mobile Security Project guidelines. Organizations must prioritize certificate validation as a fundamental security control in their mobile application development lifecycle to prevent similar vulnerabilities from compromising user data and system integrity.