CVE-2015-7058 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
Apple iOS before 9.2, OS X before 10.11.2, and tvOS before 9.1 improperly validate keychain item ACLs, which allows attackers to obtain access to keychain items via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7058 represents a critical weakness in Apple's security architecture affecting iOS versions prior to 9.2, OS X versions before 10.11.2, and tvOS versions before 9.1. This flaw resides in the keychain access control mechanism that governs how applications can access sensitive cryptographic credentials and authentication data stored within the operating system's secure storage. The improper validation of access control lists (ACLs) creates a pathway for malicious applications to bypass the intended security boundaries that should protect confidential information such as passwords, certificates, and encryption keys. This vulnerability directly impacts the fundamental security model of Apple's platforms by allowing unauthorized access to data that should remain protected through proper access controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of keychain item access control lists during the authentication process. When applications attempt to access keychain items, the system should verify that the requesting application has proper authorization based on the item's ACL configuration. However, the flaw allows attackers to craft malicious applications that can manipulate or bypass these validation checks, effectively enabling them to access keychain items that they should not be permitted to access. This weakness operates at the system level within the security framework, specifically targeting the keychain services component that manages secure credential storage and retrieval across Apple's ecosystem.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7058 extends beyond simple unauthorized data access, potentially enabling sophisticated attacks that can compromise user authentication credentials and sensitive cryptographic material. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability could gain access to stored passwords, SSL certificates, and other security tokens that applications rely upon for authentication and secure communications. The implications are particularly severe given that keychain items often contain credentials for email accounts, web services, network resources, and other sensitive systems that users trust to remain secure. This vulnerability essentially undermines the trust model that users place in their device's security features, potentially enabling credential theft, session hijacking, and broader compromise of user accounts across multiple services.
Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including prompt deployment of the security updates released by Apple for iOS 9.2, OS X 10.11.2, and tvOS 9.1. The patch addresses the core validation issue in the keychain access control implementation and restores proper enforcement of access control lists. System administrators should also consider monitoring for suspicious applications that might attempt to access keychain items without proper authorization and implement additional security controls such as application whitelisting where appropriate. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should govern all security-sensitive operations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, potentially enabling adversaries to move laterally within compromised systems and maintain persistent access through stolen authentication credentials.