CVE-2016-1766 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
The Profiles component in Apple iOS before 9.3 does not properly validate certificates, which allows attackers to spoof an MDM profile trust relationship via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1766 resides within Apple iOS Profiles component and affects versions prior to 9.3, representing a critical certificate validation flaw that undermines the security of mobile device management systems. This weakness allows malicious actors to exploit the insufficient certificate validation mechanisms to establish fraudulent trust relationships with Mobile Device Management profiles, effectively bypassing the intended security controls that protect corporate and personal devices from unauthorized access and data breaches.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper validation of X.509 certificates used within the MDM profile trust relationship mechanism, where iOS fails to adequately verify certificate chains and cryptographic signatures that should authenticate the legitimacy of profile sources. This vulnerability falls under the CWE category of Certificate Validation Error, specifically CWE-295 which addresses the failure to validate certificates properly. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that attackers could potentially manipulate various aspects of certificate presentation including certificate authorities, subject names, or cryptographic parameters to deceive the iOS system into accepting malicious profiles as legitimate.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple certificate validation failures, as it directly compromises the integrity of enterprise mobile device management systems that rely on trusted profile installations to enforce security policies, manage device configurations, and protect sensitive corporate data. When an attacker successfully spoofs an MDM profile trust relationship, they can install malicious profiles that grant unauthorized access to device functions, enable persistent backdoors, or deploy additional malware payloads. This represents a significant threat to enterprise security posture as it allows attackers to bypass device management controls that are specifically designed to protect against such threats, potentially enabling lateral movement within corporate networks and data exfiltration from compromised devices.
Organizations relying on iOS devices for enterprise management face substantial risk from this vulnerability, as it undermines the fundamental trust model that MDM systems depend upon for secure device administration. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that MDM profiles often contain sensitive configuration settings, encryption keys, and administrative privileges that can be exploited to gain deep access to corporate resources. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the Tactic of Persistence and Defense Evasion, where attackers establish unauthorized access and maintain covert presence on target devices through legitimate administrative mechanisms.
The remediation strategy for CVE-2016-1766 requires immediate deployment of iOS 9.3 updates, which include enhanced certificate validation mechanisms and improved MDM profile trust verification processes. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of profile installations and certificate usage patterns to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of existing MDM configurations to ensure that certificate validation settings are properly enforced and that unauthorized profile installations are promptly identified and removed. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date mobile device management systems and underscores the critical need for robust certificate management practices that align with industry standards such as those outlined in NIST SP 800-57 for cryptographic key management and certificate lifecycle management.