CVE-2017-2486 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.3 is affected. Safari before 10.1 is affected. The issue involves the "WebKit" component. It allows remote attackers to spoof the address bar via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2486 represents a significant security flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple iOS and Safari versions. This issue resides in the core web browsing component responsible for rendering web content across Apple's ecosystem, making it a critical concern for user security and privacy. The vulnerability specifically impacts iOS versions prior to 10.3 and Safari versions before 10.1, leaving millions of users exposed to potential exploitation through malicious web content. The flaw manifests as an address bar spoofing capability that allows remote attackers to deceive users into believing they are visiting a legitimate website when in fact they are interacting with a maliciously crafted page.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation within WebKit's address bar display mechanisms. Attackers can create specially crafted websites that manipulate the browser's visual representation of the current URL, causing the address bar to display misleading information while maintaining the actual malicious page content. This type of attack falls under the category of user interface deception and can be particularly dangerous when combined with other social engineering techniques. The vulnerability enables attackers to present fake security indicators, misleading domain names, or fraudulent website appearances that could trick users into entering sensitive information or performing actions they would not normally undertake.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for users who browse the internet regularly, particularly in scenarios involving financial transactions, email access, or other sensitive activities. The attack vector requires remote exploitation through malicious websites, meaning users do not need to download anything or perform specific actions beyond visiting a compromised site. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without user interaction beyond normal web browsing behavior. The impact extends beyond simple deception to potentially enable credential theft, financial fraud, and other malicious activities that rely on user trust in the displayed website information.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 and CWE-352 categories, specifically addressing URL spoofing and cross-site request forgery concerns within web browser implementations. It also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for remote code execution and T1566 for spearphishing with attachments, as attackers can leverage this flaw to create convincing phishing sites. Organizations and individual users should prioritize immediate remediation through system updates to iOS 10.3 and Safari 10.1, which contain patches addressing this specific WebKit flaw. Additionally, users should exercise heightened caution when browsing, verify URL authenticity through multiple means, and consider implementing browser security extensions that provide additional verification layers. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining current software versions and highlights the ongoing need for robust browser security mechanisms that prevent user interface manipulation attacks.