CVE-2017-2365 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. 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 • 07/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2365 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple Apple operating systems including iOS, Safari, and tvOS. This vulnerability resides in the core web browsing component responsible for processing and rendering web content across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw specifically targets the Same Origin Policy implementation which serves as a fundamental security mechanism in web browsers designed to prevent unauthorized access to resources across different domains. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass these essential security boundaries through maliciously crafted websites that exploit weaknesses in the WebKit component's cross-origin resource access controls.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of cross-origin requests within the WebKit engine's security model. When users visit compromised websites, the malicious code can leverage this flaw to access sensitive information that should normally be restricted due to same origin policy enforcement. This represents a classic browser-based privilege escalation attack vector that undermines the fundamental security architecture of web applications. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it enables attackers to potentially access user data, session information, and other sensitive resources that should remain isolated between different origins. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-284 which describes improper access control mechanisms, specifically focusing on inadequate enforcement of access restrictions in web browser components.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2365 is significant as it affects a broad range of Apple devices and applications that rely on WebKit for web content rendering. Users of iOS versions prior to 10.2.1, Safari versions before 10.0.3, and tvOS versions before 10.1.1 face elevated risk of data exposure and potential privacy violations. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability through various delivery methods including malicious websites, phishing campaigns, or compromised web applications that leverage the flaw to access sensitive data. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that users do not need to perform any special actions beyond visiting a malicious website to be potentially compromised. This aligns with ATT&CK framework technique T1059 which describes the use of web-based attack vectors to execute malicious code and gain unauthorized access to systems. The attack surface is particularly concerning given Apple's ecosystem integration where users frequently access web content across multiple devices.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-2365 primarily focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by Apple to address the WebKit component vulnerabilities. Users should promptly install the latest iOS, Safari, and tvOS updates to remediate this security flaw. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider implementing web filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to ensure all Apple devices within their environment are properly updated and patched. Additional defensive measures include user education about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and implementing browser security configurations that further restrict cross-origin access. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches in preventing exploitation of browser-based vulnerabilities, as the flaw existed in multiple Apple products and required coordinated patching across different operating systems and applications.