CVE-2017-13796 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 • 06/02/2025
This vulnerability resides within the WebKit browser engine component that powers Apple's Safari browser and other applications across iOS, macOS, tvOS, and Windows platforms. The flaw represents a critical memory corruption issue that manifests when processing specially crafted web content, allowing remote attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple product lines including iOS versions prior to 11.1, Safari versions before 11.0.1, iCloud for Windows versions before 7.1, iTunes for Windows versions before 12.7.1, and tvOS versions before 11.1. The technical nature of this vulnerability places it within the realm of memory safety issues commonly categorized under CWE-119, which deals with improper restriction of operations within a memory buffer, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write operations. These classifications align with the observed behavior of memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across Apple's ecosystem, creating a significant security risk for users who browse the web with affected software versions. Attackers can leverage this weakness through malicious websites that, when loaded in Safari or other affected applications, trigger memory corruption that can result in either arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions. The remote exploitation nature means users do not need to perform any special actions beyond visiting a compromised website, making this attack vector particularly dangerous and widespread. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers Exploitation for Client Execution, and T1059, which involves Command and Scripting Interpreter, as the successful exploitation can lead to full system compromise.
The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability creates a dangerous attack surface where remote adversaries can manipulate memory layout and execution flow within legitimate applications. When a user visits an attacker-controlled website, the WebKit engine processes malicious content that triggers undefined behavior in memory management, potentially allowing attackers to overwrite critical memory regions or inject malicious code into the application's execution context. This type of vulnerability is particularly challenging to defend against because it operates at the core browser engine level and can bypass many traditional security controls. The remediation strategy requires immediate patching of all affected Apple products, with users urged to update to the latest available versions that contain memory safety improvements and code execution mitigations. Organizations should prioritize deployment of these updates across all affected endpoints and consider implementing network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering to reduce exposure while patches are being deployed.