CVE-2016-7599 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 bypass the Same Origin Policy and obtain sensitive information via a crafted web site that uses HTTP redirects.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7599 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple Apple products including iOS versions prior to 10.2, Safari versions before 10.0.2, iCloud versions before 6.1, and iTunes versions before 12.5.4. This weakness resides in the core web browsing component that powers Apple's internet applications and represents a significant bypass of fundamental web security mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the Same Origin Policy implementation which serves as one of the primary security controls preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data across different web origins.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through crafted web sites that leverage HTTP redirects to circumvent the Same Origin Policy restrictions. This mechanism allows remote attackers to manipulate the browser's security model by using redirect chains that can potentially access resources from different origins that should normally be restricted. The flaw exploits how WebKit processes HTTP redirects and their interaction with cross-origin resource access controls, creating a pathway for attackers to gather sensitive information from web applications that would typically be protected by origin-based security policies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in web application security boundaries. Attackers could potentially access sensitive data from other domains, including cookies, session information, and potentially personal user data, when users navigate to malicious websites. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the browser level and can affect multiple applications that rely on WebKit for web content rendering. The attack vector through HTTP redirects makes it particularly stealthy and difficult to detect, as the malicious behavior is embedded within normal web navigation patterns.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-345 Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity, as it demonstrates how improper validation of redirect sequences can lead to security bypasses. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this represents a technique that could be categorized under T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1071.1001 Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, since it exploits web protocols and browser functionality to achieve unauthorized access. The flaw also relates to T1566 Credential Access: Phishing, as attackers could use this vulnerability to enhance phishing attacks by gaining access to sensitive session data from legitimate web applications. Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability should immediately update to the patched versions of their Apple products, as the remediation addresses the underlying WebKit redirect processing logic to properly enforce cross-origin restrictions and maintain the integrity of the Same Origin Policy implementation.