CVE-2017-2485 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 "Security" component. It allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted X.509 certificate file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2024
This vulnerability resides within Apple's security infrastructure and represents a critical memory corruption flaw that affects multiple Apple 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. The vulnerability specifically targets the X.509 certificate parsing functionality within Apple's security framework, creating a remote code execution vector that could be exploited by malicious actors. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation during certificate processing, allowing attackers to craft specially malformed X.509 certificate files that trigger memory corruption when parsed by affected systems. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are common in cryptographic library implementations where buffer overflows can occur during certificate parsing operations. The security implications extend beyond simple code execution to include potential denial of service scenarios where applications may crash or become unresponsive, disrupting normal system operations and user experience.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides remote attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code on affected devices without requiring any user interaction or authentication. Attackers can craft malicious X.509 certificate files that when processed by vulnerable systems, will trigger memory corruption leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability could be exploited in various attack scenarios including man-in-the-middle attacks, where attackers intercept and modify certificate chains, or through phishing campaigns that deliver malicious certificates through compromised websites or email attachments. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers can target vulnerable devices from anywhere on the network, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for enterprise environments and users who frequently connect to untrusted networks. The vulnerability's presence in multiple Apple platforms indicates a systemic issue within Apple's security architecture that affects a broad user base and requires immediate remediation across all affected versions.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment across all affected systems, as Apple released security updates in iOS 10.3, macOS 10.12.4, tvOS 10.2, and watchOS 3.2 to address this vulnerability. Organizations should implement certificate pinning mechanisms where possible to reduce reliance on trust chain validation, and deploy network monitoring solutions that can detect and block suspicious certificate traffic. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and bounds checking in cryptographic libraries, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for process injection and T1557.001 for credential access through network sniffing. Security teams should also implement certificate monitoring solutions to detect and alert on unusual certificate behavior, and consider implementing additional security layers such as sandboxing or containerization to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. System administrators should prioritize patch management processes and conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate similar issues before they can be exploited in the wild.