CVE-2015-7034 in iWork
Summary
by MITRE
The Apple iWork application before 2.6 for iOS and Apple Pages before 5.6 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted Pages document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7034 represents a critical memory corruption flaw affecting Apple iWork applications on iOS devices and Apple Pages on macOS systems. This vulnerability specifically impacts versions prior to 2.6 for iOS iWork and 5.6 for Apple Pages, creating a significant security risk for users who have not updated their applications. The flaw resides in the document parsing mechanisms used by these applications, which fail to properly validate input data when processing crafted Pages documents. This insufficient validation leads to memory corruption issues that can be exploited by remote attackers to gain unauthorized code execution capabilities or cause deliberate application crashes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can result in memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. Attackers can craft malicious Pages documents containing specially formatted data that, when opened by an affected application, triggers buffer overflows or heap corruption. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where document parsing occurs, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through simple file delivery mechanisms such as email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing platforms. The exploitation process typically involves manipulating document structures to overwrite memory locations, potentially allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to enterprise and individual users alike, as it enables remote code execution without requiring user interaction beyond opening the malicious document. The denial of service component of this vulnerability can be equally damaging, as it allows attackers to crash applications repeatedly, disrupting productivity and potentially leading to data loss. The attack surface is broad since Pages documents are commonly shared and opened across different platforms, making this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise iOS and macOS environments. Organizations using these applications are particularly vulnerable as the exploit can bypass traditional network security controls since it operates at the application level rather than network protocols.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7034 primarily involve immediate application updates to versions 2.6 for iOS iWork and 5.6 for Apple Pages, which contain patches addressing the memory corruption issues. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management policies to ensure all affected devices receive updates promptly, as the vulnerability remains exploitable for extended periods after initial disclosure. Additional protective measures include implementing document filtering mechanisms that scan for suspicious content patterns, deploying mobile device management solutions that can restrict document handling capabilities, and educating users about the risks of opening untrusted documents. Organizations should also consider network-level controls that can prevent the download of potentially malicious Pages documents from untrusted sources, though the vulnerability's nature as a memory corruption issue means that even legitimate documents could be compromised if they contain malicious elements. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under technique T1203, which involves exploitation of remote services and application vulnerabilities, highlighting the importance of maintaining up-to-date application security and implementing layered defense strategies.