CVE-2017-2391 in Pages
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. Pages before 6.1, Numbers before 4.1, and Keynote before 7.1 on macOS and Pages before 3.1, Numbers before 3.1, and Keynote before 3.1 on iOS are affected. The issue involves the "Export" component. It allows users to bypass iWork PDF password protection by leveraging use of 40-bit RC4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2391 represents a significant security flaw in Apple's iWork suite affecting multiple versions across both macOS and iOS platforms. This issue specifically targets the export functionality within Pages, Numbers, and Keynote applications, where the implementation fails to properly enforce PDF password protection mechanisms. The flaw enables unauthorized access to protected documents through a sophisticated exploitation technique that leverages weak cryptographic implementations. The affected versions include Pages before 6.1, Numbers before 4.1, and Keynote before 7.1 on macOS, alongside older iOS counterparts with Pages before 3.1, Numbers before 3.1, and Keynote before 3.1. This vulnerability demonstrates a critical failure in the cryptographic security model of these productivity applications, potentially exposing sensitive data that users believed was protected through standard PDF password mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the implementation of 40-bit RC4 encryption within the export process, which represents a known weak cryptographic algorithm that has been extensively criticized for security weaknesses since the early 2000s. The RC4 cipher's vulnerability stems from its susceptibility to various cryptanalytic attacks including bias detection and key recovery techniques that can be exploited to bypass password protection. This weakness allows attackers to perform brute force or statistical analysis attacks against the export functionality, effectively breaking the PDF password protection that users expect to provide confidentiality. The vulnerability operates at the application layer where the export component fails to properly validate or enforce the encryption parameters that should be applied to protected documents. This represents a direct violation of secure coding practices and cryptographic implementation standards that require the use of robust, well-vetted encryption algorithms.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2391 extends beyond simple document access, as it represents a fundamental breach of user trust in the security of their productivity applications. Organizations relying on iWork for document management and collaboration may experience unauthorized access to sensitive business documents, financial records, or confidential communications that were protected by PDF passwords. The vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where employees use these applications to process and share proprietary information, potentially leading to intellectual property theft, competitive disadvantage, or regulatory compliance violations. The attack vector requires minimal technical expertise, making it accessible to threat actors with basic knowledge of cryptographic weaknesses and document exploitation techniques. This vulnerability also demonstrates the broader risk of legacy cryptographic implementations within commercial software products, where outdated security measures continue to be deployed despite known weaknesses in the underlying algorithms.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires immediate application of vendor security patches and updates to the affected iWork applications across all supported platforms. Apple addressed this issue through software updates that strengthened the export functionality's cryptographic implementation and eliminated the use of weak 40-bit RC4 encryption. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive updates promptly. Security professionals should also conduct vulnerability assessments to identify any systems running outdated versions of iWork that may still be exposed to this vulnerability. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security implementations and regularly reviewing cryptographic practices within enterprise applications. The incident serves as a reminder of the critical importance of cryptographic hygiene and the necessity of avoiding deprecated encryption standards in security-sensitive applications. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-327, which specifically addresses the use of weak or broken cryptographic algorithms, and represents a clear example of how improper cryptographic implementation can lead to significant security breaches in commercial software applications.