CVE-2017-2524 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. tvOS before 10.2.1 is affected. watchOS before 3.2.2 is affected. The issue involves the "TextInput" 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 • 02/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2524 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's TextInput component that affected multiple operating systems including iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the text processing framework, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities through carefully crafted data inputs. The vulnerability exists in the fundamental text handling capabilities of these platforms, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered during normal text input operations.
The technical flaw manifests as a memory corruption vulnerability within the TextInput component that processes user input across various Apple platforms. When the system encounters malformed or specially crafted data sequences, the text processing engine fails to properly validate input boundaries, leading to buffer overflows or heap corruption conditions. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. The flaw specifically affects the text rendering and processing subsystems that handle character encoding, string manipulation, and input validation routines.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-2524 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially enable remote code execution capabilities. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on affected devices, effectively bypassing security controls and gaining unauthorized access to system resources. The memory corruption conditions can cause applications to crash unpredictably, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious payloads or escalate privileges. This vulnerability particularly affects user-facing applications that process text input, including messaging apps, web browsers, and productivity software that rely on the TextInput framework for data processing.
From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage, as attackers could potentially leverage the code execution capability to deploy additional payloads. The attack surface is extensive given that the vulnerability affects core operating system components used across multiple device types, including mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers, and smart TVs. The exploitation requires minimal user interaction, as the vulnerability can be triggered through normal text input operations, making it particularly dangerous in phishing attacks or malicious website scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-2524 primarily involve applying the official security updates released by Apple, including iOS 10.3.2, macOS 10.12.5, tvOS 10.2.1, and watchOS 3.2.2. System administrators should prioritize patch deployment across all affected platforms and monitor for potential exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include implementing network-based security controls such as intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious text input patterns and configuring application whitelisting policies to restrict potentially vulnerable applications from executing on affected systems. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability could enable attackers to move laterally within compromised networks.