CVE-2014-6983 in NBE
Summary
by MITRE
The NBE (aka com.nbe.app) application 1.1 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-2014-6983 affects the NBE application version 1.1 for Android devices, representing a critical security flaw in the application's handling of secure communications. This issue stems from the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack vector for malicious actors who wish to intercept or manipulate data transmitted between the mobile application and remote servers. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process that is fundamental to establishing trust in secure communications.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the application's inability to perform proper certificate chain validation and hostname verification during SSL connections. When an Android application establishes a secure connection to a server, it should verify that the server's certificate is issued by a trusted Certificate Authority and that the certificate's hostname matches the server being accessed. The NBE application bypasses these critical security checks, allowing attackers to present fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the application. This failure directly violates security protocols established by industry standards and best practices for secure mobile application development.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it enables man-in-the-middle attacks that can compromise sensitive user data and system integrity. Attackers can exploit this weakness to intercept communications, modify data in transit, or completely impersonate legitimate servers to deceive users into providing confidential information such as login credentials, personal data, or financial details. The vulnerability affects all users of the affected NBE application version, making it particularly dangerous as it does not require specific user interaction or privileged access to exploit. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-295 category for improper certificate validation and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1573.002 for "Tunneling through Network Infrastructure" and T1041 for "Exfiltration Over C2 Channel" when used in malicious contexts.
The security implications extend beyond simple data interception, as this vulnerability can enable more sophisticated attacks including credential theft, session hijacking, and data manipulation. Mobile applications that rely on secure communications for authentication or data transmission become particularly vulnerable when they fail to implement proper certificate verification. The lack of certificate validation creates an attack surface that can be exploited by threat actors using various tools and techniques to generate or obtain fraudulent certificates that will be accepted by the vulnerable application. This vulnerability represents a fundamental failure in the application's security architecture and demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications. Organizations and developers should implement comprehensive certificate pinning mechanisms and ensure that all SSL/TLS connections perform proper validation checks to prevent such vulnerabilities from compromising user security and data integrity.