CVE-2017-2506 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.3.2 is affected. Safari before 10.1.1 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 • 12/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2506 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple iOS and Safari versions. This vulnerability resides in the core web browser component responsible for processing and rendering web content across Apple's ecosystem. The issue specifically impacts iOS versions prior to 10.3.2 and Safari versions before 10.1.1, creating a significant attack surface for remote threat actors who can exploit this weakness through malicious websites.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within WebKit's JavaScript engine, where attackers can craft specific web pages that trigger memory corruption conditions. This memory corruption manifests when the browser processes maliciously constructed web content, leading to unpredictable behavior that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code on the target system. The flaw operates at a low level within the browser's memory management system, making it particularly dangerous as it can bypass traditional security mechanisms and directly compromise system integrity.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to users who browse the internet on affected Apple devices, as the attack can be executed remotely through standard web navigation without any user interaction beyond visiting a compromised website. The potential impact includes complete system compromise, data theft, persistent backdoor installation, and denial of service conditions that can render devices unusable. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes the use of web-based attacks to gain initial access to target systems. The memory corruption nature also relates to CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write conditions that can lead to arbitrary code execution.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of timely security updates in mobile environments where users may not immediately apply patches. Organizations and individuals using affected Apple devices face significant risk exposure, as the vulnerability can be leveraged for advanced persistent threats, financial fraud, and corporate espionage. The flaw's presence in the WebKit component means that all web-based applications and services accessible through Safari or iOS web browsers are potentially vulnerable, creating a broad attack surface that extends beyond traditional browser-based threats. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of their comprehensive threat modeling for iOS environments, particularly in enterprise settings where mobile device security is paramount. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw underscores the necessity of maintaining current security patches and implementing network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts.