CVE-2016-7598 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 from process memory via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7598 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple iOS and macOS products. This security weakness resides in the WebKit component which serves as the core browser engine powering Safari and other Apple applications that utilize web content rendering. The vulnerability specifically impacts iOS versions prior to 10.2, Safari versions before 10.0.2, iCloud versions before 6.1, and iTunes versions before 12.5.4, indicating a widespread exposure across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw enables remote attackers to extract sensitive data from process memory through the exploitation of a specially crafted malicious website, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered simply by visiting a compromised webpage.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the WebKit engine's handling of web content processing. Attackers can craft web pages that manipulate how memory is allocated and accessed during web rendering operations, potentially leading to information leakage from adjacent memory regions. This type of vulnerability typically falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and may also relate to CWE-125 "Out-of-bounds Read" or CWE-122 "Heap-based Buffer Overflow" depending on the specific implementation details. The attack vector operates through a remote code execution scenario where the malicious website triggers memory access patterns that inadvertently expose confidential information such as cryptographic keys, session tokens, or other sensitive data stored in process memory.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7598 extends beyond simple information disclosure as it creates potential pathways for more sophisticated attacks. When attackers can extract memory contents, they may obtain credentials, encryption keys, or other sensitive information that could be used to impersonate users, decrypt communications, or gain unauthorized access to protected resources. This vulnerability particularly threatens users who frequently access untrusted websites or who are targeted in spear-phishing campaigns where attackers craft specific web pages designed to exploit this flaw. The widespread nature of the affected products means that a significant portion of Apple users were potentially exposed, with the vulnerability affecting both mobile and desktop environments through the shared WebKit engine. Organizations and individuals should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessments as it represents a fundamental weakness in how web content is processed and memory is managed within Apple's browser ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7598 primarily focus on immediate software updates and operational security measures. Apple released patches for all affected versions including iOS 10.2, Safari 10.0.2, iCloud 6.1, and iTunes 12.5.4, which address the memory handling issues within WebKit. System administrators should prioritize immediate deployment of these security updates across all affected Apple devices within their environments. Additionally, organizations can implement network-level protections such as web filtering solutions that block access to known malicious domains and employ content security policies to limit exposure. Security awareness training should emphasize the importance of avoiding untrusted websites and suspicious email attachments that could deliver malicious web content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches across all operating systems and applications, as this type of information disclosure vulnerability often serves as a stepping stone for more serious attacks. Implementing memory protection mechanisms and monitoring for unusual memory access patterns can provide additional layers of defense against similar vulnerabilities in the future.