CVE-2011-0116 in iTunes
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the setOuterText method in the htmlelement library in WebKit, as used in Apple iTunes before 10.2 on Windows, allows man-in-the-middle attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via vectors related to DOM manipulations during iTunes Store browsing, a different vulnerability than other CVEs listed in APPLE-SA-2011-03-02-1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0116 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the WebKit rendering engine's htmlelement library, specifically affecting Apple iTunes version 10.1 and earlier on Windows platforms. This vulnerability manifests through the setOuterText method which handles DOM manipulation operations during iTunes Store browsing activities. The flaw occurs when the application processes certain HTML elements that trigger memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to the freed memory location, creating a dangerous scenario where attackers can manipulate the application's memory state.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the inherent weakness in memory management within the WebKit engine's implementation of HTML element manipulation. When iTunes processes specific DOM elements through the setOuterText method, the underlying memory allocation patterns create conditions where objects are freed from memory while references to them persist. This creates a use-after-free condition that can be exploited by attackers who craft malicious HTML content designed to trigger the vulnerable code path during normal iTunes Store browsing operations. The vulnerability falls under CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions, and represents a classic memory corruption vulnerability that can lead to arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable full system compromise through remote code execution. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute malicious code with the privileges of the iTunes process, which typically runs with elevated permissions on Windows systems. The man-in-the-middle attack vector implies that exploitation can occur through network-based attacks without requiring local access, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where iTunes is commonly used for media management and software distribution. The memory corruption resulting from this vulnerability can cause unpredictable behavior including application crashes, data corruption, and potentially complete system compromise. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and script injection, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the target system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate patching and system updates, as Apple released iTunes version 10.2 to address the specific memory management issues in the WebKit engine. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected iTunes installations are updated promptly. Additionally, network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions can provide additional layers of defense by blocking malicious HTML content that might trigger the vulnerable code path. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual iTunes process behavior and memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation and ensure that iTunes is not used in environments where it might be exposed to untrusted web content. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments and the need for robust memory management practices in web rendering engines that handle user-supplied content.