CVE-2015-3742 in iTunes
Summary
by MITRE
WebKit, as used in Apple iOS before 8.4.1 and Safari before 6.2.8, 7.x before 7.1.8, and 8.x before 8.0.8, 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-2015-08-13-1 and APPLE-SA-2015-08-13-3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/17/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-3742 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within WebKit engine components that power Apple's mobile and desktop browsers. This weakness exists in the rendering engine responsible for processing web content across multiple Apple platforms, specifically affecting iOS versions prior to 8.4.1 and Safari versions before their respective patched releases. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the WebKit JavaScript engine, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit memory corruption patterns that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves sophisticated memory manipulation techniques that leverage specific parsing behaviors within WebKit's JavaScriptCore engine. Attackers can craft malicious web pages containing specially constructed JavaScript code or HTML elements that trigger buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory corruption patterns when the browser processes these elements. These flaws typically manifest during the interpretation and execution of JavaScript code, where improper memory allocation and deallocation routines fail to properly validate input parameters or handle edge cases in object manipulation.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3742 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on affected systems, potentially gaining complete control over the device or browser session. The memory corruption issues can cause unpredictable application behavior including crashes, hangs, or more dangerously, allow attackers to inject and execute malicious payloads. This vulnerability affects not just individual web browsing sessions but represents a fundamental security weakness in the browser's core architecture that could be exploited across multiple attack vectors including phishing campaigns, malicious advertising networks, or compromised websites.
Security professionals should note this vulnerability's alignment with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, covering out-of-bounds write operations. The attack patterns associated with this flaw correspond to techniques documented in the ATT&CK framework under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Organizations must prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, as this vulnerability represents a high-severity risk that could be actively exploited in the wild. The remediation strategy should include comprehensive browser updates, network monitoring for suspicious web traffic patterns, and user education regarding safe browsing practices to minimize exposure to malicious websites that may contain the exploit payloads.