CVE-2017-13804 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11.1 is affected. macOS before 10.13.1 is affected. tvOS before 11.1 is affected. watchOS before 4.1 is affected. The issue involves the "StreamingZip" component. It allows remote attackers to write to unintended pathnames via a crafted ZIP archive.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13804 represents a critical path traversal flaw within Apple's StreamingZip component that affected multiple Apple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 11.1, macOS versions prior to 10.13.1, tvOS versions prior to 11.1, and watchOS versions prior to 4.1. This issue stems from improper input validation within the ZIP archive extraction process, specifically in how the StreamingZip library handles file paths contained within compressed archives. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate the extraction behavior by crafting malicious ZIP files that contain specially formatted pathnames, potentially allowing arbitrary file writing to locations outside the intended extraction directory. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The technical implementation involves the StreamingZip component failing to properly sanitize or validate the absolute or relative path components within ZIP archive entries, permitting attackers to include directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ in their crafted archives.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends significantly across Apple's ecosystem, as the StreamingZip component is utilized throughout various applications and system processes that handle ZIP file decompression. Attackers could exploit this weakness remotely through maliciously crafted ZIP archives delivered via email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites, potentially leading to unauthorized file system modifications, privilege escalation, or even system compromise. The vulnerability particularly affects scenarios where applications automatically extract ZIP archives without proper path validation, creating opportunities for attackers to overwrite critical system files, inject malicious code into application directories, or establish persistence mechanisms within the target system. This flaw demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization in archive handling components, as it can be leveraged to bypass security controls that rely on file system access restrictions. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1070 Indicator Removal on Host, as it could enable attackers to modify system files and potentially hide their malicious activities through file system manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13804 require immediate patching of affected Apple operating systems to versions that include the necessary security fixes for the StreamingZip component. Organizations should ensure all Apple devices within their environment are updated to iOS 11.1, macOS 10.13.1, tvOS 11.1, or watchOS 4.1 respectively. Additionally, network administrators should implement content filtering measures to block suspicious ZIP archives from entering the network, particularly those from untrusted sources. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to file system modifications in directories where ZIP extraction typically occurs, and consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict which applications can perform ZIP extraction operations. The vulnerability highlights the necessity of proper security testing for archive handling components, including thorough path validation and sanitization routines. Organizations should also conduct security assessments to identify other potential path traversal vulnerabilities in their own applications that may utilize similar archive processing libraries, ensuring that all input paths are properly validated against expected directories and that traversal sequences are either rejected or properly resolved within safe boundaries.