Android web browsers (Safe Browser and Chrome) Security Certificate vulnerability problem

Unknown

Hi,

I just searched information on Security Certificates and what their revocation system means.

From one internet security site (https://www.grc.com/revocation.htm) I found that some browsers doesn't recognize the situation where a Security Certificate is revoked.

I tested this by visiting an address: (https://revoked.grc.com)

 

For example Safe Browser (by F-Secure) accepted a revoked Certificate without any complaints on my android phone. Also Chrome for Android didn't recognize anything wrong.

 

Now the recommendation (of this site) is to use Firefox on Android phones. Is F-Secure going to fix somehow this lacking feature of detecting revoked Security Certificates on its Safe Browser for Android?

Ukko

Hello,

 

Sorry for my reply.

 

Can it's be that with Android devices it's should be with manual action for turn on feature about "check for revoked certs"?

 

Such as.... Google Chrome (if I normally remember) for desktops will be with disabled feature. And it's should be turned ON under browser's settings.

What if Android devices have same design, but for full system (as main browser-core) and can be checked under device's settings?! Or maybe with browser's settings directly.

 

For example, Windows Phone reported about troubles with certs (include your example - but it's not telling about revoked-status, which will be with desktop versions of Internet Explorer; and just reproted about "something wrong and not trusted") - with default browser (Internet Explorer) and with F-Secure Safe Browser (which based on same things probably... as design for platform).

 

Sorry for reply again. Just decided to create current reply, but not really able to check something with Android device on current time.

 

Unknown

Thanks for replying.

 

"Such as.... Google Chrome (if I normally remember) for desktops will be with disabled feature. And it's should be turned ON under browser's settings."

Well, nowdays for the newest version of Chrome for desktops there is no way to turn 'check for server certificate revocation' on, because this choice is not there anymore. It's disabled by default and possibility to change it has been removed.

 

"What if Android devices have same design, but for full system (as main browser-core) and can be checked under device's settings?!"

I'm not  proficient Android user at all, but I found a source (https://www.grc.com/revocation/implementations.htm) insisting "Android completely ignores the entire issue of certificate revocation".

 

So it is also stated  that Google Chrome lets the responsibility of certificate validity verification to the operating system instead of checking that by themselves. Therefore Chrome combined with Android is apparently not a good solution.

 

It is good know that those Windows phone browsers complained about certification problems.