CVE-2017-2461 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 "CoreText" component. It allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) via a crafted text message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2461 resides within Apple's CoreText framework, a fundamental component responsible for text rendering across multiple Apple operating systems including iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. This flaw represents a classic resource exhaustion issue that affects versions prior to the specified security updates, specifically iOS 10.3, macOS 10.12.4, tvOS 10.2, and watchOS 3.2. The CoreText framework serves as the backbone for text processing and rendering throughout Apple's ecosystem, making this vulnerability particularly concerning given its widespread impact across multiple device types and operating systems.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the CoreText component when processing crafted text messages. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending specially constructed text payloads that, when processed by the affected systems, trigger excessive resource consumption patterns. The flaw operates through a denial of service attack vector where the malicious text input causes the system to consume disproportionate amounts of memory or processing power, ultimately leading to system instability or complete service unavailability. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes improper resource management issues, and demonstrates how text processing components can become attack surfaces when adequate sanitization measures are absent.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2461 extends beyond simple system disruption, as it affects the core text rendering capabilities that users rely on daily across Apple devices. When exploited, this vulnerability can cause applications to crash, system responsiveness to degrade significantly, or in severe cases, entire device functionality to become impaired. The attack vector is particularly insidious because text messages are ubiquitous in modern communication platforms, making this vulnerability exploitable through various channels including messaging applications, email clients, and web browsers that utilize CoreText for text display. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can potentially exploit this vulnerability without requiring physical access to the target device, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 for resource exhaustion attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve applying the official security updates released by Apple, which include patches to the CoreText framework that implement proper input validation and resource management controls. System administrators and users should prioritize updating their Apple devices to the affected versions mentioned in the security advisories, as these updates contain the necessary code modifications to prevent the exploitation of this resource consumption flaw. Additionally, organizations should implement network monitoring solutions to detect unusual resource consumption patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining regular security assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities in their Apple device fleets. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper input validation and resource management in system components that handle user-provided data, particularly those with widespread usage across multiple platforms and device types.