CVE-2016-7666 in Transporter
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. Transporter before 1.9.2 is affected. The issue involves the "iTMSTransporter" component, which allows attackers to obtain sensitive information via a crafted EPUB.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7666 affects Apple Transporter versions prior to 1.9.2, specifically within the iTMSTransporter component. This issue represents a sensitive information disclosure flaw that could potentially compromise the security of Apple developers and content distributors who rely on the Transporter tool for submitting applications to the App Store. The vulnerability manifests through the processing of crafted EPUB files, which are commonly used for digital publishing and ebook distribution. The iTMSTransporter tool is designed to facilitate the upload of application metadata, binaries, and other content to Apple's distribution servers, making it a critical component in the app submission pipeline. When processing maliciously crafted EPUB files, the tool fails to properly validate input parameters, leading to unintended information exposure. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and represents a significant risk to developers who may unknowingly process compromised files during their application submission workflow. The attack vector involves an attacker crafting a specially designed EPUB file that, when processed by the vulnerable Transporter version, triggers information disclosure mechanisms within the iTMSTransporter component.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the iTMSTransporter's EPUB processing logic. When the tool encounters a crafted EPUB file, it fails to properly sanitize or validate the file structure, allowing malicious content to trigger unexpected behavior within the application's internal processing modules. This flaw enables attackers to extract sensitive metadata, file system information, or other proprietary data that should remain confidential during the normal operation of the Transporter tool. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the file processing level, meaning that any developer who processes or validates EPUB files through the affected Transporter version could be at risk. The flaw essentially allows for arbitrary information retrieval from the system where the Transporter tool is executed, potentially exposing developer credentials, application source code details, or other sensitive data that could be leveraged for further attacks. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment" when considering how attackers might leverage such information for subsequent compromise attempts.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7666 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it could enable attackers to gather intelligence about Apple development environments, application submission patterns, and potentially sensitive developer information. Developers who regularly use Transporter for app submissions may inadvertently expose confidential data through routine operations, especially if they process third-party EPUB files or if their development environment contains compromised content. The vulnerability affects the entire Apple ecosystem including iOS, macOS, and watchOS developers who rely on Transporter for their application distribution workflows. Organizations may face regulatory compliance issues if sensitive information is disclosed through this vulnerability, particularly in environments where strict data protection policies are enforced. The risk is compounded by the fact that this vulnerability could be exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors, potentially enabling more sophisticated compromise scenarios. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader attack surface assessment, particularly when evaluating the security of developer toolchains and content processing pipelines.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7666 focus primarily on upgrading to Transporter version 1.9.2 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization for EPUB file processing. Organizations should implement strict file validation policies for any EPUB files processed through development tools, ensuring that only trusted and verified content is accepted. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments of their development toolchains and ensure that all Apple development tools are kept up to date with the latest security patches. Additional defensive measures include implementing network monitoring to detect unusual information disclosure patterns and establishing secure file handling procedures that prevent untrusted EPUB files from being processed by critical development tools. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and sanitization in all components of the software development lifecycle, particularly for tools that handle external content or data. Organizations should also consider implementing automated scanning solutions that can detect and prevent the processing of potentially malicious files, reducing the risk of exploitation through this and similar vulnerabilities. Regular security training for development teams regarding the risks of processing untrusted content and the importance of maintaining updated development tools can significantly reduce the attack surface for such vulnerabilities.