CVE-2017-2469 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 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 • 03/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2469 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple Apple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 10.3 Safari versions prior to 10.1 and tvOS versions prior to 10.2. This vulnerability resides in the core web browsing component responsible for processing and rendering web content across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw manifests as a heap-based buffer overflow or memory corruption issue that occurs when WebKit processes maliciously crafted web content. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by hosting malicious websites that trigger the memory corruption when users visit these sites through Safari or other WebKit-based applications. The vulnerability enables remote code execution capabilities allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to affected systems and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. This represents a significant security risk as it can be leveraged for complete system compromise without requiring any user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write classifications within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The flaw operates through improper input validation and memory management within the WebKit component's handling of web content. When a user navigates to a malicious website the WebKit engine processes the content and encounters malformed data that leads to memory corruption. This corruption can occur in various memory regions including heap allocations used for storing web page elements or rendering data. The vulnerability's exploitation path follows the ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution which involves using a web browser to deliver malicious content that triggers the memory corruption. The memory corruption results in unpredictable behavior that can be controlled by attackers to redirect execution flow and inject malicious code.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2469 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Organizations and individuals using affected Apple products face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring physical access to devices. The affected platforms include a broad range of Apple devices that rely on WebKit for web browsing including iPhones iPads Apple TVs and other iOS devices. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete system compromise allowing attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, or maintain persistent access to compromised systems. Additionally the vulnerability may enable attackers to bypass security controls such as code signing requirements and sandboxing mechanisms that Apple implements to protect user data. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where mobile devices often contain sensitive corporate information and where users may inadvertently visit malicious websites while browsing the web.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-2469 primarily focus on immediate system updates and security hardening measures. Apple released iOS 10.3 tvOS 10.2 and Safari 10.1 updates that addressed the memory corruption vulnerability through improved input validation and memory management within the WebKit component. Organizations should prioritize deploying these security patches across all affected Apple devices in their inventory. Network administrators can implement additional protective measures such as web content filtering solutions and browser security extensions that can detect and block malicious websites. Users should avoid visiting untrusted websites and maintain awareness of phishing attempts that may leverage this vulnerability. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security updates and the need for organizations to maintain comprehensive patch management processes for mobile devices. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious web traffic patterns and unusual application behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. Given the remote exploit nature of this vulnerability organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.