CVE-2017-2481 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 • 11/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2481 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 before 10.1 and tvOS versions before 10.2. This vulnerability resides in the core web browsing component that processes and renders web content across Apple's ecosystem, making it a prime target for remote exploitation. The flaw manifests through improper memory handling when processing maliciously crafted web pages which can lead to unpredictable behavior and system instability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under CWE-125 out of the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions that can occur when a program reads data past the end of a valid buffer. In the context of WebKit this typically involves memory corruption that occurs during the parsing and rendering of web content where attackers can manipulate the memory layout through crafted HTML or JavaScript elements. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems by simply visiting a malicious website, leveraging the browser's rendering engine as an attack vector. This represents a classic remote code execution vulnerability that bypasses traditional security boundaries by exploiting the trusted nature of web browsing.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2481 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable full system compromise across Apple's mobile and television platforms. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability can allow attackers to gain arbitrary code execution privileges on targeted devices, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The affected platforms include iOS mobile devices tvOS set-top boxes and Safari web browsers which represent a significant attack surface given the widespread use of these platforms. The vulnerability's ability to cause denial of service through memory corruption means that even unsuccessful exploitation attempts could render devices unstable or unusable. The remote nature of the attack means that users do not need to interact with malicious content directly, as simply loading a compromised webpage in Safari could trigger the vulnerability.
Organizations and individuals should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to the patched versions of affected Apple software including iOS 10.3 Safari 10.1 and tvOS 10.2. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would place it in the execution category with techniques such as web shell deployment and command and control communication. Network administrators should implement web filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains and monitor for suspicious traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and should avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading content from unknown sources. The vulnerability highlights the importance of keeping software up to date and demonstrates how browser-based attacks can bypass traditional network security controls by exploiting the trusted nature of web browsing within Apple's ecosystem.