CVE-2012-0611 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.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0611 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within WebKit engine components that power Apple's iOS operating system and iTunes media software. This vulnerability specifically affects versions of iOS prior to 5.1 and iTunes versions before 10.6, creating a significant security gap that malicious actors could exploit to gain unauthorized system access or disrupt normal application functionality. The flaw resides in how WebKit processes certain web content, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through ordinary web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within WebKit's rendering engine, which processes HTML, JavaScript, and other web technologies. When encountering specially crafted web content, the engine fails to properly validate memory allocations and deallocations, leading to memory corruption that can result in arbitrary code execution or application crashes. 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 potentially arbitrary code execution. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with heap-based buffer overflow conditions where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially allowing for code injection attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to end users as it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities, making it particularly dangerous for mobile users who frequently access untrusted websites. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enabling full system compromise, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application. This vulnerability aligns with several tactics described in the ATT&CK framework under the T1059 category, which covers execution through command and scripting interpreters, as the memory corruption could potentially enable attackers to inject and execute malicious code within the browser environment. The remote exploitation capability means that users do not need to download or install anything additional to be compromised, as simply visiting a malicious website could trigger the vulnerability.
The security implications of CVE-2012-0611 extend to both enterprise and individual users, as it affects widely used Apple products that handle sensitive information and personal data. Organizations relying on iOS devices for business operations face potential data breaches or system compromises that could result in significant financial and reputational damage. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw makes it particularly concerning for mobile environments where users may access untrusted networks and websites. Apple's identification of this issue in their security advisories, separate from other WebKit vulnerabilities referenced in APPLE-SA-2012-03-07-1 and APPLE-SA-2012-03-07-2, indicates that this represents a distinct and separate threat vector that required specific mitigation measures. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems and implementing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, while users should immediately update to the patched versions of iOS and iTunes to protect against this vulnerability. The remediation process requires updating to iOS 5.1 or later and iTunes 10.6 or later, which include memory safety improvements and code validation fixes that address the underlying memory corruption issues within the WebKit engine.