CVE-2015-1065 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in iCloud Keychain in Apple iOS before 8.2 and Apple OS X through 10.10.2 allow man-in-the-middle attackers to execute arbitrary code by modifying the client-server data stream during keychain recovery.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1065 represents a critical security flaw in Apple's iCloud Keychain implementation affecting iOS versions prior to 8.2 and OS X versions through 10.10.2. This issue stems from multiple buffer overflow conditions that occur during the keychain recovery process, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically targets the client-server communication channel used for keychain recovery operations, where attackers can manipulate data streams to trigger memory corruption conditions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves a man-in-the-middle attack scenario where adversaries intercept and modify the communication between iOS devices or Mac systems and Apple's iCloud servers. During keychain recovery operations, the client-side code fails to properly validate input data received from the server, leading to buffer overflow conditions that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code. The flaw occurs when the system processes recovery data that exceeds allocated buffer sizes, causing memory corruption that can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized code execution privileges.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to user security and privacy as it allows attackers to bypass normal authentication mechanisms and potentially access sensitive credential information stored in iCloud Keychain. The buffer overflow conditions can result in system instability, application crashes, or more critically, complete system compromise when exploited successfully. The vulnerability affects all iOS devices and Mac systems running the affected versions, making it a widespread concern across Apple's ecosystem and impacting millions of users who rely on iCloud Keychain for credential management.
The attack vector for this vulnerability aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol manipulation, where attackers exploit weaknesses in network communication protocols to gain unauthorized access. The vulnerability also relates to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, describing heap-based buffer overflow scenarios that can occur during data processing operations. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and memory management in cryptographic protocol implementations, particularly in credential storage systems that handle sensitive user data.
Organizations and users should immediately apply the security updates released by Apple for iOS 8.2 and OS X 10.10.2 to mitigate this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategy includes not only applying the official patches but also implementing network monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate man-in-the-middle attacks targeting iCloud Keychain operations. Additionally, users should consider disabling iCloud Keychain functionality temporarily while waiting for security updates, particularly when operating in high-risk network environments where network interception is more likely to occur.