CVE-2017-13863 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11 is affected. The issue involves the "APNs" component. It allows man-in-the-middle attackers to track users by leveraging the transmission of client certificates.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13863 resides within Apple's iOS operating system affecting versions prior to iOS 11, specifically targeting the Apple Push Notification service component. This weakness represents a significant security flaw that undermines the integrity of communication channels between mobile devices and Apple's push notification infrastructure. The issue stems from insufficient certificate validation mechanisms within the APNs implementation, creating an exploitable condition that enables malicious actors to intercept and monitor user communications. The vulnerability operates at the transport layer of communication protocols, where client certificates are transmitted without adequate cryptographic verification, thereby exposing sensitive user data to unauthorized surveillance.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through man-in-the-middle attack vectors that capitalize on the weak certificate handling within the APNs framework. Attackers can intercept the certificate transmission process and establish surveillance capabilities that track user activities and communication patterns. This flaw falls under the category of cryptographic weakness and certificate validation failure, aligning with CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanism used by iOS devices when establishing secure connections with Apple's push notification servers, creating a persistent surveillance capability that can be maintained across multiple user sessions and applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data interception, as it provides attackers with comprehensive tracking capabilities across all applications that utilize Apple's push notification service. This includes messaging applications, social media platforms, email services, and other notification-based functionalities that rely on APNs for delivering alerts. The vulnerability affects the fundamental security posture of iOS devices by compromising the trust model established between user devices and Apple's notification infrastructure. Users who are unaware of this compromise may continue to receive push notifications while simultaneously being monitored by unauthorized parties, creating a stealthy surveillance mechanism that operates without user knowledge or consent.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to the broader ATT&CK framework, particularly under the T1046 technique for Network Service Scanning and T1566 for Phishing with Malicious Attachments, as the compromised APNs infrastructure could be leveraged for more sophisticated attack vectors. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper certificate validation and secure communication protocols in mobile operating systems. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to iOS 11 or later versions, monitoring network traffic for suspicious certificate exchanges, and deploying network security solutions that can detect anomalous APNs communication patterns. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of unpatched mobile devices and the importance of maintaining current software versions to prevent exploitation of such fundamental security flaws.