CVE-2017-2385 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. Safari before 10.1 is affected. The issue involves the "Safari Login AutoFill" component. It allows local users to obtain access to locked keychain items via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2385 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's Safari web browser affecting versions prior to 10.1. This issue resides within the Safari Login AutoFill component which is designed to automatically populate login credentials for websites. The vulnerability allows local attackers to bypass the security mechanisms that protect keychain items when the system is locked, creating an unauthorized access vector that undermines the fundamental security model of macOS keychain protection. The flaw specifically targets the interaction between the browser's auto-fill functionality and the operating system's keychain security controls, exploiting a gap in the authorization checks that should prevent access to protected credentials when the system is in a locked state.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user authentication status within the Safari Login AutoFill component. When a macOS system is locked, the keychain service should enforce strict access controls that prevent unauthorized applications or processes from retrieving stored credentials. However, the flaw in Safari's implementation allows the browser to access keychain items even when the system is locked, effectively bypassing the security boundary that should exist between authenticated sessions and locked system states. This represents a violation of the principle of least privilege where applications should not be able to access protected resources beyond their legitimate operational scope. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the attack could potentially be triggered through various means including but not limited to browser-based attacks or system-level privilege escalation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft as it fundamentally compromises the security model of macOS keychain protection. Local users who gain access to a locked system can potentially extract sensitive information including passwords, certificates, and other credential data that would normally be protected. This vulnerability undermines the trust model that users place in their locked systems, creating a scenario where an attacker with physical access to a locked device can extract stored credentials without requiring additional authentication factors. The implications are particularly severe in environments where sensitive corporate or personal data is stored in the keychain, as this could lead to unauthorized access to multiple accounts and services that rely on stored credentials. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability represents a low-effort, high-impact vector for privilege escalation and credential harvesting.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a classic example of inadequate access control implementation that violates fundamental security principles. The flaw aligns with common weakness categories such as CWE-284 which addresses improper access control and CWE-310 which covers cryptographic weakness in authentication systems. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation, specifically targeting the T1555.001 technique for credentials from password storage modules. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly benign features like auto-fill can become security risks when proper access controls are not implemented. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to Safari 10.1 or later, disabling auto-fill features when systems are locked, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to keychain items. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing additional security controls such as screen lock timeouts, enhanced monitoring of keychain access, and regular security audits to detect potential exploitation of this vulnerability across their environments.