CVE-2016-4762 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
WebKit in Apple iOS before 10, iTunes before 12.5.1 on Windows, iCloud before 6.0 on Windows, and Safari before 10 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2022
This vulnerability resides within the WebKit rendering engine that powers Apple's Safari browser and iOS web applications. The flaw represents a critical memory corruption issue that affects multiple Apple platforms including iOS versions prior to 10, iTunes versions before 12.5.1 on Windows, iCloud versions before 6.0 on Windows, and Safari versions before 10. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation during web page rendering processes, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory structures through maliciously crafted web content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves sophisticated memory corruption techniques that allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. Attackers can craft specific web pages containing malicious JavaScript or HTML elements that trigger buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management flaws within WebKit's parsing and rendering components. These conditions enable attackers to overwrite critical memory locations, potentially leading to privilege escalation or complete system compromise. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level within the browser engine, making it particularly dangerous as it can bypass traditional security boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution to include potential denial of service scenarios that can render affected systems unusable. When exploited, the memory corruption can cause browser crashes, system instability, or complete device lockouts. The widespread adoption of affected Apple products means that a successful exploitation could impact millions of users across different platforms. Organizations relying on Apple devices for business operations face significant risks including data breaches, system downtime, and potential unauthorized access to sensitive corporate information. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can exploit it without requiring physical access to target devices.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment across all affected Apple platforms, as the vulnerability requires no user interaction to exploit. System administrators should prioritize updating iOS to version 10 or later, iTunes to version 12.5.1 or later, iCloud to version 6.0 or later, and Safari to version 10 or later. Network security measures including web filtering and content inspection should be implemented to block access to known malicious domains until patches are deployed. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are common memory corruption patterns. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the execution phase of the kill chain with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement and consider deploying endpoint protection solutions that can detect and block exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.