CVE-2015-3801 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
The document.cookie API implementation in the CFNetwork Cookies subsystem in WebKit in Apple iOS before 9 allows remote attackers to bypass an intended single-cookie restriction via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-3801 resides within the CFNetwork Cookies subsystem in WebKit component of Apple iOS versions prior to 9. This flaw specifically impacts the document.cookie API implementation, which is a critical interface for web applications to manage browser cookies. The issue represents a security bypass vulnerability that undermines the intended single-cookie restriction mechanism, potentially allowing malicious actors to circumvent cookie security controls that should limit cookie access to specific domains or paths. The vulnerability affects the core web browsing functionality of iOS devices, making it particularly concerning given the widespread use of Apple mobile devices in enterprise and consumer environments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper enforcement of cookie access controls within the WebKit rendering engine's networking subsystem. When web applications interact with cookies through the document.cookie API, the system should enforce strict boundaries regarding which domains or paths can access specific cookies. However, the flawed implementation in iOS versions before 9 fails to properly validate these access restrictions, creating a pathway for attackers to manipulate cookie data beyond the intended scope. This weakness operates at the intersection of web security protocols and mobile operating system networking components, where the boundary checks between application-level cookie management and system-level network security are inadequately enforced.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to both user privacy and application security. Attackers could exploit this weakness to access cookies from different domains or subdomains than permitted by the original security policies, potentially enabling session hijacking attacks, cross-site scripting exploitation, or unauthorized data access. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to encompass enterprise security risks, as mobile devices often contain sensitive corporate data and may be used to access protected network resources. The vulnerability's presence in the core WebKit component means that all web applications running on affected iOS versions are potentially exposed to this bypass mechanism, regardless of their individual security implementations.
Organizations and users should prioritize immediate remediation through iOS updates to version 9 or later, which contain the necessary patches addressing this cookie restriction bypass. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of web applications running on iOS devices to identify potential exploitation vectors and implement additional monitoring for suspicious cookie access patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software implementations, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1185, which covers data from local system repositories. Additional mitigations include implementing strict content security policies, monitoring for unauthorized cookie access patterns, and ensuring that mobile device management policies enforce timely security updates. Given the nature of the vulnerability, network administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for anomalous cookie behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.