CVE-2010-1809 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
The Accessibility component in Apple iOS before 4.1 on the iPhone and iPod touch does not perform the expected VoiceOver announcement associated with the location services icon, which has unspecified impact and attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/16/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1809 resides within Apple iOS versions prior to 4.1, specifically affecting iPhone and iPod touch devices. This issue pertains to the Accessibility component of the operating system, which is designed to assist users with disabilities through various assistive technologies. The core problem manifests in the VoiceOver feature, which serves as iOS's screen reader functionality, providing auditory feedback to users who cannot visually interact with their devices. When location services are enabled or disabled, the system should automatically announce this status change through VoiceOver to ensure accessibility for visually impaired users.
The technical flaw involves the improper handling of location services icon notifications within the accessibility framework. Specifically, the VoiceOver announcement mechanism fails to correctly identify and report the location services icon state changes. This represents a deviation from expected behavior where assistive technologies should maintain consistent communication channels with system status indicators. The vulnerability stems from inadequate implementation of accessibility event handling for location services notifications, creating a gap in the expected user experience for accessibility features.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple user experience degradation, as it fundamentally compromises the accessibility assurances that visually impaired users rely upon. When location services are toggled, users who depend on VoiceOver for navigation and system interaction receive no auditory confirmation of the status change, potentially leading to confusion about whether location services are active or inactive. This creates a security risk where users may unknowingly leave location services enabled, exposing their location data to potential exploitation, or conversely disable them when required for essential applications. The unspecified nature of attack vectors suggests this weakness could be exploited in combination with other accessibility-related vulnerabilities or used to manipulate user expectations about system states.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-691, which addresses insufficient accessibility controls in software systems. The issue demonstrates how accessibility features, when improperly implemented, can create security gaps that affect both user experience and system integrity. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques, as it could potentially be leveraged to manipulate user awareness of security-critical system states. The vulnerability represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where the accessibility subsystem does not properly validate or announce system changes that directly impact user privacy and security.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate system updates to iOS 4.1 or later versions, which contain the necessary patches to address the VoiceOver announcement functionality. Organizations deploying iOS devices should implement comprehensive testing procedures to verify accessibility features function correctly after updates. Additionally, users should be educated about the importance of verifying location services status through multiple methods, including visual confirmation, as the VoiceOver feature may not reliably report these changes. Security teams should monitor for similar accessibility-related vulnerabilities that might affect other assistive technologies within mobile platforms, as this represents a broader class of issues affecting user awareness of critical system states. The vulnerability underscores the importance of thorough accessibility testing in security assessments, particularly for systems where assistive technologies serve as primary user interfaces.