CVE-2012-0592 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
WebKit, as used in Apple iOS before 5.1 and iTunes before 10.6, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted web site, a different vulnerability than other WebKit CVEs listed in APPLE-SA-2012-03-07-1 and APPLE-SA-2012-03-07-2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0592 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within WebKit, the rendering engine that powers Apple's Safari browser and iOS web content processing. This vulnerability specifically affected Apple iOS versions prior to 5.1 and iTunes versions before 10.6, creating a significant attack surface for remote threat actors who could exploit the flaw through maliciously crafted web content. The vulnerability operates by leveraging memory corruption techniques that allow attackers to manipulate the WebKit engine's memory management processes, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within WebKit's JavaScript engine and rendering components. Attackers could construct specially crafted web pages containing malicious JavaScript or HTML elements that would trigger buffer overflows or memory corruption when processed by the vulnerable WebKit engine. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The flaw operates at the intersection of web rendering and memory management, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through normal web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-0592 extends beyond simple application crashes, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This means that users visiting compromised websites could have their devices compromised remotely, potentially leading to data theft, system takeover, or further escalation attacks. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution through web-based attacks. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability also makes it particularly dangerous because it can be used to bypass security mechanisms like address space layout randomization and data execution prevention, making the attack more reliable and harder to detect.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of affected Apple products, with Apple releasing iOS 5.1 and iTunes 10.6 updates that addressed the memory corruption issues. Organizations should have implemented network-based protections such as web proxies with content filtering, DNS-based protections, and browser security enhancements to prevent access to malicious websites. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date software patches and demonstrated how web-based attack vectors could be leveraged to compromise mobile and desktop environments. Security professionals should have monitored for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and implemented application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of unauthorized code. The incident underscored the critical nature of WebKit-based vulnerabilities in mobile operating systems and reinforced the need for comprehensive security testing of rendering engines that process untrusted web content.