CVE-2017-2522 in watchOS
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. tvOS before 10.2.1 is affected. watchOS before 3.2.2 is affected. The issue involves the "CoreFoundation" component. It allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via crafted data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2522 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's CoreFoundation framework that affects multiple operating systems including iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. This vulnerability resides in the foundational components that handle data processing and memory management across Apple's ecosystem, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited across different device types. The CoreFoundation framework serves as a cornerstone for many Apple applications and system functions, providing essential services for data handling, property lists, and serialization operations that are fundamental to the operating system's functionality.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within CoreFoundation's data parsing routines, specifically when processing crafted input data. Attackers can exploit this weakness by delivering maliciously formatted data that triggers buffer overflows or memory corruption conditions during the parsing process. This flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems or cause intentional denial of service conditions that result in application crashes and system instability. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access to devices and can potentially compromise systems through network-based attacks, making it particularly concerning for enterprise and consumer environments alike.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2522 extends beyond simple system crashes to potentially enable full system compromise, depending on the specific exploitation method. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability can allow attackers to execute code with the privileges of the affected application, potentially leading to complete system control. The memory corruption aspect of the flaw creates unpredictable behavior that can be leveraged to bypass security mechanisms or escalate privileges. Organizations and individuals using affected versions of Apple's operating systems face significant risks including data breaches, unauthorized access, and potential loss of sensitive information. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Apple products, from mobile devices to desktop computers and television systems, amplifying its potential impact across different threat vectors.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate system updates to patched versions of the affected operating systems. Apple released security updates for iOS 10.3.2, macOS 10.12.5, tvOS 10.2.1, and watchOS 3.2.2 that address the memory corruption issues within CoreFoundation. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these patches across all affected devices and ensure comprehensive testing to prevent service disruptions. Additional defensive measures include network monitoring for suspicious traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts and implementing application whitelisting policies to limit the execution of potentially malicious code. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under initial access and privilege escalation techniques, particularly focusing on exploitation of software vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also relates to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios, both of which are common categories for memory corruption vulnerabilities in system frameworks. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and endpoint protection solutions to provide additional layers of defense against potential exploitation attempts.