CVE-2016-7642 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 execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7642 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 memory corruption vulnerability resides within the WebKit component which serves as the foundation for web content rendering across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw manifests when users visit maliciously crafted websites that exploit specific memory handling mechanisms within the WebKit engine, creating opportunities for attackers to gain unauthorized code execution privileges or trigger system instability through application crashes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the WebKit rendering engine's handling of web content. Attackers can construct malicious web pages that, when loaded in affected browsers or applications, trigger memory corruption conditions that allow arbitrary code execution. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and potential code execution. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it particularly dangerous as it can be delivered through various attack vectors including phishing campaigns, compromised websites, or malicious advertisements.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7642 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable full system compromise. When exploited, the memory corruption can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application, which in many cases corresponds to the user's privileges. This presents a significant risk to iOS devices, Safari browsers, and other Apple applications that rely on WebKit for rendering web content. The vulnerability's presence across multiple Apple platforms including mobile operating systems, desktop browsers, and synchronization applications creates a broad attack surface that could be leveraged for various malicious activities including data theft, system monitoring, or further exploitation of other system vulnerabilities.
Organizations and users must implement immediate mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The most effective approach involves applying the security updates released by Apple, specifically iOS 10.2, Safari 10.0.2, iCloud 6.1, and iTunes 12.5.4, which contain patches that address the underlying memory corruption issue. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these updates across all affected devices, particularly those used in enterprise environments where the risk of compromise is higher. Additionally, network security teams should consider implementing web filtering solutions and monitoring for suspicious web traffic that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches as a primary defense mechanism against such threats. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure complete remediation across all affected systems within the organization's infrastructure.