CVE-2017-13784 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11.1 is affected. Safari before 11.0.1 is affected. iCloud before 7.1 on Windows is affected. iTunes before 12.7.1 on Windows is affected. tvOS before 11.1 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 • 05/31/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13784 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affects multiple Apple operating systems and applications. This issue resides in the core web browsing component that powers Safari, iOS web views, and various other Apple applications that utilize WebKit for displaying web content. The vulnerability specifically impacts iOS versions prior to 11.1, Safari versions before 11.0.1, iCloud for Windows versions prior to 7.1, iTunes for Windows versions before 12.7.1, and tvOS versions prior to 11.1, demonstrating the widespread nature of the flaw across Apple's ecosystem.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within WebKit's handling of crafted web content, creating conditions where remote attackers can manipulate memory structures through malicious websites. This memory corruption vulnerability allows adversaries to execute arbitrary code on affected systems or cause application crashes that result in denial of service conditions. The flaw operates at the browser engine level, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a compromised website. The vulnerability falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and is classified as a memory corruption issue that can be leveraged for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple browser exploitation, as it affects Apple's entire ecosystem of devices and applications that depend on WebKit for web content rendering. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to user devices, potentially leading to data theft, persistent backdoors, or complete system compromise. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that users are at risk simply by visiting malicious websites, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users may encounter compromised sites through phishing campaigns or compromised web services. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploitation of remote services, and represents a significant threat to Apple's security posture.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13784 require immediate system updates to the patched versions of affected Apple software, as Apple released security updates that addressed the memory corruption issues in WebKit. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect attempts to access known malicious domains and consider deploying web application firewalls or content filtering solutions to block access to suspicious websites. Users must be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and the importance of keeping their Apple devices updated with the latest security patches. Additionally, system administrators should monitor for any signs of exploitation attempts and consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify anomalous behavior consistent with memory corruption attacks. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software and demonstrates how flaws in core web components can create widespread security risks across multiple platforms within a single vendor's ecosystem.