CVE-2016-7662 in watchOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.2 is affected. macOS before 10.12.2 is affected. watchOS before 3.1.3 is affected. The issue involves the "Security" component, which allows remote attackers to spoof certificates via unspecified vectors.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2024
This vulnerability resides within Apple's security infrastructure affecting multiple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 10.2, macOS versions before 10.12.2, and watchOS versions before 3.1.3. The flaw specifically impacts the certificate validation mechanism within Apple's security framework, creating a critical weakness that enables remote attackers to perform certificate spoofing attacks. This vulnerability represents a fundamental breakdown in the trust model that Apple's operating systems rely upon for secure communications and identity verification.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient certificate validation procedures that fail to properly verify the authenticity and integrity of digital certificates presented during secure communications. Attackers can exploit this weakness to create fraudulent certificates that appear legitimate to the affected Apple operating systems, thereby bypassing the security controls designed to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and unauthorized access to encrypted communications. This issue falls under the category of certificate trust validation failures, which are commonly categorized as CWE-295 - Improper Certificate Validation, and represents a significant deviation from the expected security behavior of the operating system's cryptographic subsystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple certificate spoofing, as it fundamentally undermines the security assurances that users and organizations rely upon when conducting secure communications. Remote attackers can leverage this weakness to intercept and manipulate encrypted traffic, potentially accessing sensitive data, credentials, and personal information without detection. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be exploited across various network scenarios, including web browsing, email communications, and secure application interactions, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments and individuals handling confidential information.
Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the patched versions of their respective operating systems, monitoring network traffic for suspicious certificate behavior, and implementing additional security controls such as certificate pinning for critical applications. The remediation process should involve comprehensive system updates across all affected platforms, with particular attention to ensuring that the security patches properly address the root cause of the certificate validation flaw. Security teams should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous certificate behavior patterns and establish incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper certificate validation mechanisms within cryptographic systems and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001 - Credentials In Files, as it enables attackers to potentially access systems through compromised certificate trust relationships. The weakness represents a significant gap in Apple's security architecture that required immediate attention and patch deployment across their entire product ecosystem, highlighting the interconnected nature of security vulnerabilities in complex operating system environments where a flaw in one component can have cascading effects across multiple platforms and applications.