CVE-2016-4608 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE
libxslt in Apple iOS before 9.3.3, OS X before 10.11.6, iTunes before 12.4.2 on Windows, iCloud before 5.2.1 on Windows, tvOS before 9.2.2, and watchOS before 2.2.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4607, CVE-2016-4609, CVE-2016-4610, and CVE-2016-4612.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4608 represents a critical memory corruption issue affecting Apple's libxslt library across multiple operating systems and applications. This flaw exists within the XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) processing engine that Apple uses for XML transformation operations in various products including iOS, macOS, iTunes, iCloud, tvOS, and watchOS. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of malformed XML input during XSLT processing, creating conditions where remote attackers can exploit memory corruption through crafted XML documents that trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying library implementation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under memory corruption patterns that can lead to denial of service conditions or potentially more severe impacts including arbitrary code execution. The flaw manifests when libxslt processes specially crafted XML documents that contain malformed XSLT transformations, causing the library to access invalid memory locations or corrupt memory structures. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-125 as "Out-of-bounds Read" and CWE-787 as "Out-of-bounds Write" depending on the specific exploitation vector. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of XML parsing and memory management, where improper bounds checking during XSLT transformation processing creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory contents through carefully constructed input data.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-4608 extends across Apple's ecosystem with affected versions spanning iOS 9.3.2 and earlier, macOS 10.11.5 and earlier, iTunes 12.4.1 and earlier on Windows, iCloud 5.2.0 and earlier on Windows, tvOS 9.2.1 and earlier, and watchOS 2.2.1 and earlier. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability through various attack vectors including web-based content delivery, email attachments, or malicious websites that render XML content using Apple's XSLT processing capabilities. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 as "Exploitation for Client Execution" and T1059.007 as "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" when considering the potential for browser-based exploitation. The remote nature of the attack means that users do not need to interact with malicious content directly for exploitation to occur, making it particularly dangerous in web browsing scenarios where users encounter untrusted XML content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-4608 require immediate patching of affected Apple products to the latest supported versions, as Apple released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider disabling XSLT processing in applications where it is not essential. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning for enterprise environments where Apple devices are widely used, as attackers could leverage this flaw to disrupt business operations through denial of service or potentially gain unauthorized access to systems. Security teams should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms around XML processing applications and monitoring for unusual memory allocation patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process requires careful testing of patches to ensure compatibility with existing applications that depend on XSLT functionality while maintaining security posture against this memory corruption vulnerability.