CVE-2014-6982 in Arabic Troll Football
Summary
by MITRE
The Arabic Troll Football (aka com.hamoosh.ArabicTrollFootball) application 1.0.1 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-2014-6982 affects the Arabic Troll Football Android application version 1.0.1, presenting 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 malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data and system integrity. The flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security architecture, specifically in its certificate validation mechanisms that are essential for maintaining secure communications between mobile applications and remote servers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within the realm of cryptographic security failures, specifically categorized under CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation. The application's inability to verify SSL server certificates means that it accepts any certificate presented by a server without proper authentication, effectively disabling the cryptographic protection that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide. This weakness allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application, thereby enabling them to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the user's device and remote servers.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates severe consequences for users of the Arabic Troll Football application, as it exposes them to potential data breaches and privacy violations. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the application likely handles user credentials, personal information, or financial data during its operation. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, steal personal information, or manipulate application functionality. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects a mobile application, where users may be conducting sensitive transactions or accessing personal data while connected to potentially unsecured networks.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers must ensure that the application validates X.509 certificates against trusted certificate authorities, performs hostname verification, and implements certificate pinning where appropriate. This aligns with recommended practices outlined in the OWASP Mobile Security Project and follows the principle of least privilege in secure coding practices. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks and ensure that all applications handling sensitive data maintain up-to-date security protocols. The remediation process requires comprehensive code review and testing to verify that certificate validation is properly implemented and that the application can distinguish between legitimate and malicious certificates. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of cryptographic security in mobile applications and serves as a reminder of the necessity for robust certificate validation mechanisms in all network communications.