CVE-2017-2369 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 execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2369 represents a critical memory corruption 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, making it a prime target for remote exploitation. The flaw manifests when WebKit encounters specially crafted web content that triggers improper memory handling during web page rendering processes, creating opportunities for attackers to gain unauthorized code execution capabilities or cause system instability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under memory corruption patterns that are commonly categorized as CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, or similar memory management flaws that occur when applications fail to properly validate memory boundaries during dynamic allocation and deallocation. The WebKit component's processing of malformed web content leads to unpredictable memory states where attacker-controlled data can overwrite critical memory regions, potentially allowing for arbitrary code execution. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the browser level where users frequently interact with untrusted web content, making the attack surface extremely broad and accessible.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2369 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable full system compromise through remote code execution capabilities. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that, when loaded in affected browsers, trigger the memory corruption behavior and subsequently execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process. This represents a significant escalation from simple denial of service conditions to full system compromise, aligning with ATT&CK tactics such as T1059 for command and control execution and T1190 for exploitation of remote services. The vulnerability affects users across multiple platforms including iOS versions prior to 10.2.1, Safari versions prior to 10.0.3, and tvOS versions prior to 10.1.1, creating a widespread exposure across Apple's ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems through official Apple security updates, as the flaw represents a known exploit vector that has been documented and potentially weaponized by threat actors. Organizations should implement network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains while maintaining awareness of the specific WebKit memory corruption patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping browser components updated, as it represents a classic example of how rendering engine flaws can be exploited to achieve system compromise. Security teams should also consider implementing browser hardening measures including sandboxing, privilege separation, and monitoring for unusual memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability exemplifies the need for continuous security assessment and patch management across all browser and operating system components to prevent successful exploitation of similar memory corruption flaws.