CVE-2017-2448 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.3 is affected. macOS before 10.12.4 is affected. tvOS before 10.2 is affected. The issue involves the "Keychain" component. It allows man-in-the-middle attackers to bypass an iCloud Keychain secret protection mechanism by leveraging lack of authentication for OTR packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2448 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's Keychain implementation across multiple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 10.3, macOS versions before 10.12.4, and tvOS versions before 10.2. This weakness specifically targets the iCloud Keychain secret protection mechanism, which is designed to safeguard sensitive authentication credentials and cryptographic keys stored within Apple's ecosystem. The vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication controls during the OpenPGP for XMPP (OTR) packet transmission process, creating an exploitable gap in Apple's security architecture that undermines the integrity of the keychain protection system.
The technical flaw manifests through a man-in-the-middle attack vector that exploits the absence of proper authentication mechanisms for OTR packets within the Keychain component. Attackers can leverage this weakness to bypass the intended secret protection mechanisms that should normally require authentication before allowing access to iCloud Keychain credentials. This vulnerability operates at the protocol level where the OTR packet handling lacks sufficient verification steps, allowing malicious actors to intercept and manipulate the communication flow between devices and Apple's iCloud services. The flaw essentially creates a backdoor that permits unauthorized access to protected credentials without proper authentication, fundamentally undermining the security model that Keychain is designed to enforce.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it compromises the entire trust model of Apple's iCloud Keychain system. When exploited, attackers can gain access to sensitive information including passwords, cryptographic keys, and other protected secrets that users expect to be securely stored and managed by the Keychain component. The vulnerability affects users across multiple Apple platforms simultaneously, creating a widespread security concern that impacts millions of devices. This weakness particularly undermines the security of users who rely on iCloud Keychain for automatic password synchronization and secure credential storage, potentially allowing attackers to access accounts across multiple services that depend on these stored credentials.
The security implications align with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in authentication mechanisms, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for credentials from password storage modules. Organizations and individuals using affected Apple products face significant risk of credential compromise, potentially leading to account takeovers, unauthorized access to sensitive data, and broader security breaches within their digital ecosystems. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authentication controls in cryptographic systems and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of inter-platform communication protocols. Users should immediately update to the patched versions of their operating systems to mitigate this risk, as the vulnerability provides attackers with a direct path to bypass Apple's intended security protections for stored credentials.
This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the complex security challenges inherent in modern operating systems where multiple components must maintain consistent authentication and authorization controls. The flaw demonstrates how weaknesses in one component can cascade to affect the security of related systems, particularly in environments where automatic credential synchronization and cloud-based storage are prevalent. The attack vector's ability to leverage OTR packet handling without proper authentication reveals gaps in Apple's security architecture that require careful attention to protocol-level verification mechanisms. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Apple device deployments and ensure all systems are updated to prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.