CVE-2014-7743 in Humor Ironias y Realidades
Summary
by MITRE
The Humor Ironias y Realidades (aka com.wHumork) application 0.63.13371.13576 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 • 10/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7743 affects the Humor Ironias y Realidades Android application version 0.63.13371.13576 which demonstrates a critical flaw in its secure communication implementation. This application fails to properly validate X.509 certificates during SSL/TLS connections, creating a significant security gap that exposes users to man-in-the-middle attacks. The flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in the application's cryptographic security posture, as it accepts any certificate presented by a server without performing the necessary verification steps that are standard in secure communication protocols.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-295 which describes "Improper Certificate Validation" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1573.002 for "Encrypted Channel" where adversaries can exploit weak certificate validation to intercept and manipulate encrypted communications. The application's failure to verify certificate chains, issuer information, and cryptographic signatures creates an attack surface where malicious actors can present forged certificates that appear legitimate to the vulnerable application. This allows attackers positioned between the user and the server to establish fraudulent secure connections while the application remains oblivious to the deception.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables comprehensive eavesdropping capabilities for attackers. When users interact with the application, any sensitive information transmitted through the insecure SSL connections becomes vulnerable to theft including personal data, authentication credentials, or confidential communications. The vulnerability affects all network communications within the application that rely on SSL/TLS encryption, potentially compromising user privacy and data integrity. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform session hijacking, inject malicious content, or redirect users to fraudulent endpoints while maintaining the appearance of secure communication.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of proper certificate validation mechanisms within the application. Developers must implement certificate pinning to ensure that only specific, trusted certificates are accepted for connections, and must validate certificate chains against trusted root authorities. The application should perform comprehensive verification of certificate expiration dates, subject names, and cryptographic signatures before establishing secure connections. Additionally, implementing certificate transparency checks and regular security audits of cryptographic implementations will help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future versions. Organizations should also consider deploying network monitoring solutions to detect and alert on suspicious certificate behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.