CVE-2011-0151 in iTunes
Summary
by MITRE
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 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 • 01/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0151 represents a critical security flaw in Apple iTunes version 10.1 and earlier on Windows platforms, specifically within the WebKit rendering engine component. This vulnerability exposes users to significant risks during iTunes Store browsing activities, where malicious actors can exploit the flaw to gain unauthorized access to system resources. The issue stems from improper handling of web content within the iTunes application's web browser interface, creating an attack surface that adversaries can leverage for nefarious purposes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves memory corruption issues that occur when iTunes processes certain web content from the iTunes Store. When users navigate through iTunes Store browsing features, the WebKit engine fails to properly validate or sanitize incoming data, leading to potential buffer overflows or memory corruption conditions. These memory management failures can result in application crashes or more severe consequences where attackers can execute arbitrary code within the context of the iTunes process. The vulnerability specifically manifests during web content rendering operations, making it particularly dangerous when users engage with online store functionalities.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for users who regularly access iTunes Store features, as it provides attackers with multiple attack vectors for system compromise. The man-in-the-middle attack scenario implies that adversaries can intercept network traffic between iTunes and Apple's servers, manipulating the content to trigger the memory corruption. This allows for either denial of service conditions that disrupt normal application functionality or more dangerous code execution capabilities that could lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's classification as memory corruption aligns with common attack patterns documented in the CWE database under category CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it represents a potential pathway for attackers to escalate privileges and execute malicious payloads within the iTunes environment. When combined with other attack techniques, this flaw could enable adversaries to establish persistent access to user systems, particularly given iTunes' privileged execution context on Windows platforms. The vulnerability's relationship to other CVEs referenced in APPLE-SA-2011-03-02-1 indicates that this represents part of a broader attack surface that Apple had to address through their security updates, emphasizing the interconnected nature of web browser security vulnerabilities in desktop applications.
Organizations and individual users should implement immediate mitigations including updating to iTunes version 10.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory corruption issues. Network administrators should monitor for potential exploitation attempts and consider implementing network segmentation to limit exposure during the remediation period. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in web rendering engines, aligning with ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and code injection. Security professionals should also consider this vulnerability when conducting risk assessments for legacy applications that rely on outdated WebKit components, as similar memory corruption patterns have been observed in other browser engines and applications across the industry.