CVE-2017-2497 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.3.2 is affected. macOS before 10.12.5 is affected. The issue involves the "iBooks" component. It allows remote attackers to trigger visits to arbitrary URLs via a crafted book.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2497 represents a significant security flaw within Apple's iBooks component that affected multiple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 10.3.2 and macOS versions prior to 10.12.5. This vulnerability falls under the category of insecure direct object reference and cross-site scripting attacks, as outlined in CWE-639 and CWE-79 respectively, which allows malicious actors to manipulate application behavior through crafted input. The flaw specifically resides in how the iBooks application processes book files, creating an opportunity for remote code execution through specially crafted book content.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when a user opens a maliciously crafted book file that contains embedded URLs or hyperlinks designed to trigger unauthorized navigation. Attackers can construct book files with malicious content that, when opened by the vulnerable iBooks application, automatically initiates navigation to arbitrary web addresses. This behavior represents a classic example of a web-based attack vector that exploits the trust relationship between the application and its users, enabling unauthorized access to external resources and potentially leading to further exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in input validation and sanitization within the iBooks component, allowing crafted book content to bypass normal security controls.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2497 extends beyond simple URL redirection, as it creates a potential gateway for more sophisticated attacks within the Apple ecosystem. When users open malicious book files, they inadvertently trigger navigation to attacker-controlled websites that could serve malware, phishing content, or additional exploit payloads. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1193 which describes the use of malicious documents to deliver payloads, and T1059 which covers the execution of malicious code through various application interfaces. The attack surface is particularly concerning because iBooks is a commonly used application that users trust, making social engineering attacks more effective. The vulnerability could enable attackers to gather user information, redirect users to malicious sites, or potentially exploit other vulnerabilities in the browser or system components that the redirected URLs might access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-2497 primarily focus on updating affected systems to patched versions of iOS and macOS where Apple has addressed the vulnerability through improved input validation and URL handling within the iBooks component. Users should immediately install the security updates released by Apple, which include enhanced sanitization of book content and stricter validation of hyperlinks within book files. Additionally, organizations should implement content filtering measures to block suspicious book files from entering the network environment, and users should exercise caution when opening book files from untrusted sources. Security awareness training should emphasize the risks of opening unknown book files and the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual URL redirection patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of validating all user-supplied content and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against attacks that exploit trust relationships between applications and their users.