CVE-2017-2394 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.3 is affected. Safari before 10.1 is affected. tvOS before 10.2 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 • 11/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2394 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affects multiple operating systems and applications. This vulnerability specifically targets iOS versions prior to 10.3, Safari versions prior to 10.1, and tvOS versions prior to 10.2, demonstrating the widespread impact of WebKit-based components across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw resides in how WebKit processes certain web content, creating an exploitable condition that remote attackers can leverage to gain unauthorized code execution capabilities or induce system instability through denial of service attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within WebKit's JavaScript engine and rendering components, creating conditions where malformed web content can trigger buffer overflows or memory corruption patterns. Attackers can craft malicious websites that, when loaded in affected browsers, exploit these memory management flaws to either execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the compromised application or cause application crashes that result in denial of service conditions. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper memory management in web rendering engines can create persistent security risks.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2394 extends beyond simple application crashes, as it provides attackers with a pathway for remote code execution that could enable full system compromise. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to bypass normal security boundaries and potentially gain access to sensitive user data, system resources, or even escalate privileges to system-level access. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that users need only visit a malicious website to be at risk, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or compromised advertising networks. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes exploitation for privilege escalation through web-based attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems, as Apple released iOS 10.3, Safari 10.1, and tvOS 10.2 updates that address the memory corruption issues within WebKit. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all affected devices receive updates promptly, as the vulnerability affects widely used consumer and enterprise platforms. Network administrators should consider implementing web content filtering solutions to block access to known malicious sites, though this represents a secondary defense since the vulnerability can be exploited through legitimate websites that have been compromised. The incident highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches for browser components and demonstrates how vulnerabilities in foundational web technologies can create cascading security risks across entire operating system ecosystems.