CVE-2017-2363 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.2.1 is affected. Safari before 10.0.3 is affected. tvOS before 10.1.1 is affected. watchOS before 3.1.3 is affected. The issue involves the "WebKit" component. It allows remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy and obtain sensitive information via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2363 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple operating systems including iOS, Safari, tvOS, and watchOS. This vulnerability resides in the core web browsing component that processes and renders web content across Apple's ecosystem, making it a fundamental attack vector for malicious actors seeking to compromise user data and system integrity. The flaw specifically targets the Same Origin Policy implementation, which serves as a cornerstone of web security by preventing unauthorized access to resources across different domains. This policy enforcement mechanism is essential for maintaining isolation between websites and protecting user privacy, making the bypass of such controls particularly dangerous.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit the WebKit component through maliciously crafted websites that can circumvent the browser's security boundaries. When users visit these compromised sites, the vulnerability enables unauthorized access to sensitive information that should normally be restricted due to cross-origin security restrictions. This exploitation occurs at the protocol level where WebKit handles web content processing, potentially allowing attackers to access cookies, local storage, session data, and other sensitive user information that should be isolated between different origins. The attack vector demonstrates how a flaw in the web rendering engine can provide attackers with the capability to perform cross-site data leakage and information disclosure attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across Apple's entire mobile and connected device ecosystem, affecting users who rely on Safari browsing capabilities across iOS devices, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. Users visiting malicious websites could unknowingly have their sensitive data accessed and potentially exfiltrated without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability's presence in multiple versions of Apple's operating systems created widespread exposure, requiring immediate patching across the entire Apple product line. This cross-platform nature of the vulnerability makes it particularly concerning as it affects not just mobile devices but also connected television platforms and wearable devices that users interact with daily.
Organizations and individuals should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to the affected software versions that contain the patched WebKit component. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-284, which addresses inadequate access control mechanisms, and corresponds to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under T1071.001 for application layer protocol usage. Security teams should implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider deploying web application firewalls to help mitigate the risk of such attacks. Additionally, user education regarding the importance of keeping software updated and avoiding untrusted websites remains crucial in defending against this type of cross-origin information disclosure vulnerability that undermines fundamental web security principles.