CVE-2014-6985 in Georgia Packing
Summary
by MITRE
The Georgia Packing (aka com.tapatalk.georgiapackingorg) application 3.9.16 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-2014-6985 affects the Georgia Packing Android application version 3.9.16, 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 malicious actors can exploit to compromise user data integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability specifically targets the certificate verification process within the application's network communication stack, where it fails to perform essential cryptographic validation checks that should occur during the SSL handshake process.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate validation mechanism that should normally verify the authenticity and trustworthiness of SSL certificates presented by remote servers. According to CWE-295, this represents a weakness in certificate validation where the application accepts any certificate without proper verification of the certificate authority, certificate chain, or cryptographic integrity. The application's insecure implementation allows attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. This flaw operates at the transport layer security validation level, specifically targeting the SSL/TLS certificate validation procedures that are fundamental to establishing secure communications between mobile applications and backend servers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it enables attackers to intercept, modify, or steal sensitive information transmitted between the Georgia Packing application and its servers. Attackers can exploit this weakness to decrypt sensitive data such as user credentials, personal information, financial data, or business communications that flow through the application's network connections. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1041, where adversaries use network sniffing and man-in-the-middle capabilities to capture and manipulate network traffic. This weakness essentially removes the cryptographic protection that SSL/TLS is designed to provide, leaving users vulnerable to various attack vectors including credential theft, data exfiltration, and service disruption. The impact extends beyond individual user data compromise to potentially affect the organization's operational security and reputation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application's SSL/TLS implementation. The recommended approach involves configuring the application to perform comprehensive certificate chain validation, including verification of certificate authorities, expiration dates, and cryptographic signatures. Organizations should implement certificate pinning techniques to prevent the acceptance of unauthorized certificates, while also ensuring that the application uses up-to-date trust stores and follows industry best practices for secure communications. The fix should address the underlying code that handles SSL connections to ensure that all certificate validation checks are properly executed before establishing secure connections. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that the certificate validation mechanisms remain effective against evolving attack techniques. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic implementation in mobile applications and serves as a reminder of the potential consequences when security controls are inadequately implemented or omitted entirely from mobile security architectures.