CVE-2015-7033 in iWork
Summary
by MITRE
The Apple iWork application before 2.6 for iOS, Apple Keynote before 6.6, Apple Pages before 5.6, and Apple Numbers before 3.6 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7033 represents a critical memory corruption issue affecting multiple Apple iWork applications across iOS and macOS platforms. This flaw exists within the document parsing mechanisms of Keynote, Pages, and Numbers applications, which are widely used productivity tools in both personal and enterprise environments. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation when processing specially crafted documents, creating opportunities for remote code execution or denial of service conditions that can compromise system integrity and availability.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of document structures that the affected applications fail to properly sanitize during parsing operations. The memory corruption manifests when the applications encounter malformed or maliciously constructed document elements that trigger buffer overflows or heap corruption conditions. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are common precursors to arbitrary code execution. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with heap-based buffer overflow conditions that can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory structures.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7033 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable full system compromise when attackers craft malicious documents for distribution. Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability by delivering infected documents through email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently exchange documents. The vulnerability affects versions prior to 2.6 for iOS iWork, 6.6 for Keynote, 5.6 for Pages, and 3.6 for Numbers, representing a significant portion of deployed applications. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes exploitation of remote services, and T1059, covering command and scripting interpreter usage, as successful exploitation could provide attackers with persistent access to affected systems.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected applications to mitigate this vulnerability, as the window for exploitation remains open until remediation is complete. Security teams should implement network monitoring to detect suspicious document handling activities and consider deploying application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted documents. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and proper input validation in productivity applications, as these tools often process untrusted content from multiple sources. Additionally, user education regarding document security practices and the risks of opening attachments from unknown sources should complement technical controls to provide comprehensive protection against this and similar vulnerabilities.