CVE-2017-2445 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 conduct Universal XSS (UXSS) attacks via crafted frame objects.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2445 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple Apple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 10.3 Safari versions before 10.1 and tvOS versions before 10.2. This vulnerability specifically targets the WebKit component which serves as the core web rendering engine for Apple's Safari browser and web applications across their ecosystem. The flaw enables remote attackers to execute universal cross-site scripting attacks through the manipulation of crafted frame objects that exploit a fundamental weakness in how WebKit processes and handles frame elements within web documents.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the WebKit engine's frame handling mechanisms. When browsers process web content containing maliciously crafted frame objects these objects can bypass normal security restrictions and execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of the victim's browsing session. This particular weakness allows attackers to craft payloads that can exploit the same vulnerability across different browsers and platforms since WebKit is used across multiple Apple products including Safari iOS and tvOS. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a Cross-Site Scripting attack where the flaw exists in the web application's input handling rather than in the application's core logic. The impact is amplified by the fact that this is a universal XSS vulnerability which means it can potentially affect all web applications running on affected versions of Apple's WebKit-based browsers.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2445 is significant as it provides attackers with a powerful vector for executing remote code execution against users of affected Apple products. Universal XSS attacks can be particularly dangerous because they can bypass traditional security measures such as content security policies and similar protections that are typically implemented to prevent cross-site scripting. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to steal user sessions cookies execute malicious scripts in the context of the victim's browsing session and potentially gain access to sensitive information. The attack surface is broad given that WebKit is used across multiple Apple platforms including mobile devices desktop browsers and television operating systems. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript and T1566.001 for Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment which demonstrates how attackers can exploit this flaw to deliver malicious payloads through web-based attacks. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious websites email attachments or compromised web applications that deliver crafted frame objects designed to trigger the exploit.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-2445 primarily involve immediate software updates and patches provided by Apple to address the underlying WebKit vulnerability. Users and organizations should prioritize updating to iOS 10.3 Safari 10.1 and tvOS 10.2 or later versions that contain the necessary security fixes. Additionally network administrators should implement robust web filtering solutions and content security policies that can help detect and block malicious frame objects before they can be executed. Browser security configurations should be hardened by disabling unnecessary frame-related features and implementing strict content security policies that prevent execution of unauthorized scripts. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems that can monitor for suspicious frame object behavior and potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and demonstrates the critical need for regular software updates to protect against known vulnerabilities in widely used web components. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual frame object behavior and JavaScript execution patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.