CVE-2016-7586 in iCloud
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.2 is affected. Safari before 10.0.2 is affected. iCloud before 6.1 is affected. iTunes before 12.5.4 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 • 10/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7586 represents a significant information disclosure flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple Apple products and services. This vulnerability specifically impacted iOS versions prior to 10.2, Safari versions before 10.0.2, iCloud versions before 6.1, and iTunes versions before 12.5.4, demonstrating the widespread reach of WebKit-based security issues across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw resides within the WebKit component which serves as the core rendering engine for Safari and other Apple applications that utilize web technologies, making it a critical attack vector for threat actors targeting Apple users.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within WebKit's handling of crafted web content. Attackers could exploit this weakness by constructing malicious websites that trigger specific memory access patterns or buffer manipulation techniques, ultimately allowing them to extract sensitive information from the affected systems. This type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-20, which describes "Improper Input Validation," and may also relate to CWE-125, "Out-of-Bounds Read," depending on the specific implementation details of the memory access violation. The attack mechanism likely involves leveraging JavaScript or other web technologies to manipulate memory structures in ways that bypass normal security boundaries, potentially exposing data such as memory contents, user credentials, or system information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates opportunities for more sophisticated attacks within Apple's ecosystem. Remote attackers could potentially use this vulnerability to gather intelligence about users' systems, identify security configurations, or even extract sensitive data that could be used for further exploitation. The widespread nature of the affected products means that a single malicious website could compromise users across multiple Apple platforms, from mobile devices to desktop applications. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.006, which describes "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript," as the exploitation likely involves JavaScript-based attacks to trigger the underlying memory issues. The impact is particularly concerning given that these affected versions included popular applications that users frequently interact with, creating numerous potential attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7586 primarily involve immediate software updates to the affected Apple products, as Apple released patches for iOS 10.2, Safari 10.0.2, iCloud 6.1, and iTunes 12.5.4 to address the vulnerability. Organizations and individuals should prioritize updating their Apple devices to the latest versions to eliminate the risk of exploitation. Additional protective measures include implementing network-based security controls such as web proxies or content filters that can block access to suspicious websites, as well as maintaining awareness of phishing attempts that might deliver malicious content designed to exploit this vulnerability. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual network traffic patterns or attempts to access known malicious domains that could be associated with exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular patch management processes, particularly for widely used software components like WebKit that form the foundation of web browsing experiences across multiple platforms.