CVE-2017-6980 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. tvOS before 10.2.1 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 • 08/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6980 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple Apple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 10.3.2, Safari versions before 10.1.1, and tvOS versions before 10.2.1. This vulnerability resides within the WebKit component which serves as the core web rendering technology powering Safari browsers and web content display across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit memory corruption issues through maliciously crafted websites, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions that could crash affected applications.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within WebKit's handling of web content, specifically related to how the browser processes certain web elements that can trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption scenarios. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when the application fails to properly validate or sanitize input data before processing it, allowing attackers to manipulate memory layout and execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are common patterns in memory corruption exploits. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1203, which involves exploiting web browsers for code execution, and T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter techniques.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-6980 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable full system compromise when exploited successfully. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on affected devices, potentially leading to data theft, persistent backdoors, or complete system control. The broad scope of affected platforms including mobile devices, desktop browsers, and television operating systems creates significant exposure across Apple's ecosystem. Organizations and individuals using affected versions face substantial risk as the vulnerability can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The memory corruption nature of the vulnerability means that even if exploitation fails to achieve code execution, the resulting application crashes can be used for denial of service attacks against targeted systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate deployment of Apple's security updates and patches, which address the underlying memory corruption issues within WebKit. System administrators should prioritize updating all affected iOS, Safari, and tvOS devices to their respective patched versions. Additionally, organizations can implement network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains. Browser security configurations should be hardened by disabling unnecessary features and plugins that could exacerbate the vulnerability. From a monitoring perspective, security teams should implement detection measures to identify potential exploitation attempts through unusual memory access patterns or application crash reports. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular patch management and vulnerability assessment programs to maintain secure configurations across all supported platforms. Organizations should also consider implementing user education programs to raise awareness about visiting untrusted websites and the risks associated with outdated software versions.