CVE-2011-0165 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-2011-0165 represents a critical security flaw in Apple iTunes version 10.1 and earlier on Windows platforms that exposes users to significant risks during iTunes Store browsing operations. This issue specifically affects the WebKit rendering engine component that Apple integrated into iTunes for displaying web content within its application interface. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of certain network requests and data processing within the WebKit implementation, creating potential attack vectors that could be exploited by malicious actors positioned between the user and the iTunes Store servers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests through memory corruption issues that occur when iTunes processes certain web content or responses from the iTunes Store. Attackers capable of performing man-in-the-middle operations can manipulate network traffic to inject malicious data that triggers buffer overflows or other memory handling errors within the WebKit engine. These memory corruption vulnerabilities typically arise from insufficient input validation and improper memory management when processing web resources, allowing attackers to either execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the iTunes process or cause the application to crash through controlled memory corruption. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-125 as "Out-of-bounds Read" and CWE-787 as "Out-of-bounds Write" based on the memory handling flaws present in the affected implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it provides attackers with potential paths to execute malicious code on targeted systems. When exploited successfully, the vulnerability could allow attackers to gain control over the iTunes process, potentially leading to full system compromise depending on the privileges available to the iTunes application. The denial of service aspect of this vulnerability creates additional risks by allowing attackers to disrupt legitimate iTunes usage, potentially causing service interruptions that could affect user productivity and confidence in the application. Furthermore, the vulnerability's relationship to other CVEs referenced in APPLE-SA-2011-03-02-1 indicates that this issue was part of a broader set of WebKit-related security problems affecting Apple's Windows software ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-0165 primarily involve updating to Apple iTunes version 10.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory handling flaws in the WebKit engine. System administrators should implement network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attacks that could exploit this vulnerability, while also ensuring that users maintain up-to-date software versions. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in web rendering engines, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1557.001 for "Adversary-in-the-Middle: DNS Spoofing" as potential attack vectors. Organizations should also consider implementing network security controls such as SSL inspection and proper certificate validation to prevent man-in-the-middle scenarios that could exploit this and similar vulnerabilities in web-based applications.