CVE-2016-4613 in iCloud
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. Safari before 10.0.1 is affected. iCloud before 6.0.1 is affected. iTunes before 12.5.2 is affected. tvOS before 10.0.1 is affected. The issue involves the "WebKit" component. It allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2022
This vulnerability resides within the WebKit rendering engine component that powers Apple's Safari browser and other applications. The flaw represents a sensitive information disclosure issue that affects multiple Apple platforms including macOS, iOS, and tvOS. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability through carefully crafted web pages that leverage the WebKit component's handling of certain data structures or memory operations. The vulnerability specifically impacts Safari versions prior to 10.0.1, iCloud versions prior to 6.0.1, iTunes versions prior to 12.5.2, and tvOS versions prior to 10.0.1, indicating a widespread exposure across Apple's ecosystem. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure flaws that can potentially expose sensitive data to unauthorized parties.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory or data structures within the WebKit engine's processing pipeline. When a user visits a malicious website, the crafted page can trigger a condition where sensitive information stored in memory becomes accessible to the attacker. This typically occurs through mechanisms such as memory leaks, buffer overflows, or improper access controls within the WebKit component. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to extract information that should remain confidential, potentially including user data, session tokens, or other sensitive system information. Such flaws often relate to insufficient validation or sanitization of data inputs within the browser's rendering engine, creating pathways for unauthorized information retrieval.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks when combined with other exploitation techniques. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially gain insights into user sessions, application data, or system internals that could be leveraged for further compromise. The widespread nature of affected products means that users across multiple Apple platforms remain at risk, increasing the potential attack surface and attack vectors. This vulnerability represents a significant concern for enterprise environments where Apple devices are prevalent, as it could potentially be used to extract sensitive corporate or personal data from compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve applying the official security updates released by Apple. Users should immediately upgrade to Safari 10.0.1 or later, iCloud 6.0.1 or later, iTunes 12.5.2 or later, and tvOS 10.0.1 or later. System administrators should prioritize patch deployment across all affected Apple devices within their organization. Additional protective measures include implementing web content filtering solutions, disabling automatic website loading, and maintaining awareness of phishing attempts that may leverage this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and ensure that browser security settings are configured to limit information exposure. This vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-200 for information disclosure and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving credential access and reconnaissance activities that could be facilitated through such information disclosure capabilities.