CVE-2014-7443 in Face Fun Photo Collage Maker 2
Summary
by MITRE
The Face Fun Photo Collage Maker 2 (aka com.kauf.facefunphotocollagemaker2) application 1.3.0 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 • 10/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7443 affects the Face Fun Photo Collage Maker 2 Android application version 1.3.0, presenting a critical security flaw in the application's cryptographic implementation. This weakness resides in the application's failure to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant attack surface that exposes users to sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks. The vulnerability directly impacts the application's ability to establish secure communication channels with remote servers, fundamentally compromising the integrity and confidentiality of data transmitted between the mobile device and backend services.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing certificate verification mechanism within the application's SSL implementation, which falls under the CWE-295 vulnerability category focusing on improper certificate validation. This weakness enables attackers to perform successful man-in-the-middle attacks by presenting fraudulent SSL certificates that the application accepts without proper validation. The vulnerability operates at the transport layer security level, where the application should be implementing certificate pinning or proper certificate chain validation but instead accepts any certificate presented by the server. This flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's security architecture, as it fails to establish the trust relationship necessary for secure communication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it allows attackers to not only eavesdrop on communications but also to actively modify data in transit and impersonate legitimate servers. Mobile applications that rely on user authentication, personal data handling, or financial transactions become particularly vulnerable when such certificate verification failures occur. The attack vector requires minimal sophistication, as attackers only need to position themselves between the user and the target server to intercept and manipulate communications. This vulnerability affects not just the specific application but represents a broader class of mobile security issues that can compromise user privacy and data integrity across similar applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include implementing proper SSL certificate validation mechanisms, including certificate pinning to prevent the acceptance of unauthorized certificates. The application should be updated to verify certificate chains against trusted certificate authorities and implement appropriate certificate expiration checks. Security professionals should also consider implementing additional layers of protection such as certificate transparency monitoring and regular security audits of network communication implementations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1046 which involves network service scanning and T1566 which covers credential access through social engineering, emphasizing the need for comprehensive mobile security controls. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through application updates and implement security monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.