CVE-2015-1110 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
The Podcasts component in Apple iOS before 8.3 and Apple TV before 7.2 allows remote attackers to discover unique identifiers by reading asset-download request data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1110 affects Apple iOS versions prior to 8.3 and Apple TV versions prior to 7.2, specifically within the Podcasts application component. This security flaw represents a significant privacy concern as it enables remote attackers to extract unique identifiers from asset-download request data, potentially compromising user anonymity and tracking capabilities. The vulnerability stems from insufficient obfuscation of identifying information within network requests made by the Podcasts application when downloading media assets.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in how the Podcasts component structures and transmits asset-download requests to remote servers. When users access podcast content, the application generates network requests that contain unique identifiers associated with individual user sessions or device characteristics. These identifiers are inadvertently exposed within the request data, making them accessible to remote attackers who can intercept and analyze the network traffic. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and output encoding practices where sensitive identifying information is not properly masked or randomized during the request construction process.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risks for user privacy and security. Remote attackers who can intercept network traffic can correlate the discovered unique identifiers with specific user activities, potentially enabling tracking across different applications and services. The exposure of these identifiers may allow attackers to build detailed profiles of user behavior, preferences, and consumption patterns, which could be exploited for targeted advertising, social engineering attacks, or more sophisticated tracking mechanisms. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and user anonymity, as it violates the expected security boundaries of the operating system's privacy protections.
The security implications extend beyond simple identifier exposure, as this vulnerability can facilitate broader attack vectors within the attacker's toolkit. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this issue relates to T1041 Network Sniffing and T1071 Application Layer Protocol, where attackers can leverage network interception capabilities to gather intelligence. The vulnerability also aligns with CWE-200 Information Exposure, specifically covering cases where sensitive information is unintentionally disclosed through network communications. Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to supported versions, deploying network traffic filtering measures, and monitoring for suspicious network activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
The remediation approach for CVE-2015-1110 requires users to upgrade their Apple iOS and Apple TV systems to versions 8.3 and 7.2 respectively, which contain the necessary patches to address the identifier exposure issue. Security administrators should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous traffic patterns associated with the vulnerability, and establish policies for regular system updates to prevent similar issues from arising in the future. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of proper security testing during application development, particularly in how applications handle and transmit sensitive data during network operations.