CVE-2017-2458 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. watchOS before 3.2 is affected. The issue involves the "Keyboards" component. A buffer overflow allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2458 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within Apple's Keyboards component that affects multiple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 10.3, macOS versions before 10.12.4, tvOS versions before 10.2, and watchOS versions before 3.2. This issue resides within the keyboard input system that processes text data from applications, creating a potential attack vector that could allow malicious actors to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code with system-level access. The buffer overflow occurs when the keyboard component fails to properly validate input data length, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by crafted malicious applications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the fundamental weakness in input validation mechanisms within the keyboard subsystem where unbounded buffer operations occur during text processing. When a malicious application submits crafted input data through the keyboard interface, the insufficient bounds checking allows the data to overflow into adjacent memory regions, potentially overwriting critical program execution pointers or control data structures. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and can be classified under the broader category of CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities that can lead to arbitrary code execution.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to Apple device users as it allows attackers to gain elevated privileges through seemingly benign applications that utilize keyboard input functionality. The attack requires only a malicious application that can trigger the vulnerable keyboard processing path, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard app distribution channels without requiring physical access or specialized attack infrastructure. The privilege escalation capability means that successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation that operates at the system level.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigation strategies including prompt deployment of Apple's security updates for all affected operating systems, as well as monitoring for suspicious keyboard-related application behavior. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.008, which covers 'Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell,' indicates that similar attack patterns may be observed in keyboard-based input processing. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict keyboard input processing to trusted applications only, and conduct regular vulnerability assessments focusing on input validation mechanisms within system components. The remediation process must include comprehensive testing of keyboard functionality across all affected platforms to ensure that the patch does not introduce regressions in legitimate text processing capabilities while effectively closing the buffer overflow exploit path.