CVE-2017-2463 in iTunes
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.3 is affected. Safari before 10.1 is affected. iCloud before 6.2 on Windows is affected. iTunes before 12.6 on Windows 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 • 09/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2463 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affects multiple operating systems and applications. This vulnerability resides in the core web browsing component that powers Safari, iOS web views, and various other Apple applications that utilize WebKit for web content rendering. The flaw manifests when WebKit processes maliciously crafted web content, creating opportunities for remote code execution or system instability that can lead to application crashes and potential system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within WebKit's JavaScript engine and rendering components. Attackers can exploit this weakness by hosting malicious web content on compromised websites that, when loaded through affected Apple applications, triggers memory corruption errors. The vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems with the privileges of the affected application, potentially enabling full system compromise. This type of flaw typically involves buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management errors that occur when the browser processes malformed input data. The impact extends across multiple Apple platforms including iOS, macOS, tvOS, and Windows versions of iCloud and iTunes applications, demonstrating the widespread nature of the WebKit component's influence.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2463 is severe given that it affects widely used applications and operating systems. Mobile users running iOS versions prior to 10.3 face significant risk when browsing the web, as any compromised website can potentially deliver malware or enable remote access to their devices. The vulnerability's exploitation capability means that users do not need to perform any special actions beyond visiting a malicious website - simply loading the page in Safari or any WebKit-based application can trigger the exploit. This makes it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users may inadvertently visit compromised sites, and for individuals who browse untrusted websites. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability can also lead to denial of service conditions that may require device restarts or application reinstallation to resolve.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-2463 primarily focus on immediate patching and system updates to ensure affected Apple products receive the necessary security fixes. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected iOS devices to version 10.3 or later, Safari to version 10.1 or later, iCloud to version 6.2 or later on Windows, iTunes to version 12.6 or later on Windows, and tvOS to version 10.2 or later. Network administrators should consider implementing web content filtering solutions and restricting access to untrusted websites until systems are patched. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-119 which describes weaknesses in memory management, and represents a classic example of techniques used in the attack lifecycle as outlined in MITRE ATT&CK framework under initial access and execution phases. Security professionals should monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability, particularly unusual application crashes or memory access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Given the remote nature of the attack vector, network-based detection measures including intrusion detection systems and web proxy logs should be configured to monitor for suspicious web traffic patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.