CVE-2017-13862 in watchOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11.2 is affected. macOS before 10.13.2 is affected. tvOS before 11.2 is affected. watchOS before 4.2 is affected. The issue involves the "Kernel" component. It allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2021
This vulnerability resides within the kernel component of affected Apple operating systems, representing a critical security flaw that enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges or cause system crashes through memory corruption. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple platforms including iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS, highlighting the widespread impact across the Apple ecosystem. The kernel serves as the core operating system component responsible for system resource management and security enforcement, making any flaw in this area particularly dangerous as it can compromise the entire system integrity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves memory corruption that occurs when a specially crafted application is executed on the affected systems. This type of flaw typically stems from insufficient input validation or improper memory management within kernel space, allowing malicious code to manipulate memory structures and gain unauthorized access to privileged execution contexts. Attackers can leverage this weakness to bypass security mechanisms that normally protect the system from unauthorized code execution, effectively elevating their privileges from standard user level to kernel level access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can result in complete system compromise or denial of service conditions. When exploited successfully, the vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in the kernel context, potentially enabling them to install malicious software, modify system files, access sensitive data, or maintain persistent access to the compromised device. The memory corruption aspect also means that system stability can be compromised, leading to unexpected crashes or system hangs that can be used for denial of service attacks against legitimate users.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques. The flaw represents a classic kernel-level exploit that can be classified under CWE-119, which deals with improper access to memory locations, and CWE-121, concerning stack-based buffer overflow conditions. Organizations and users must implement immediate mitigations by updating to the patched versions of affected operating systems, as Apple released security updates for iOS 11.2, macOS 10.13.2, tvOS 11.2, and watchOS 4.2 to address this vulnerability. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these updates across all affected devices to prevent exploitation and maintain system integrity.