CVE-2017-7000 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 "SQLite" 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 • 02/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7000 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's SQLite database implementation that affected multiple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 10.3.2 and macOS versions prior to 10.12.5. This vulnerability resides within the SQLite component which serves as a core database engine used throughout Apple's ecosystem for various applications and services. The flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that can be exploited through malicious web content, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages the widespread use of web browsers and web-based applications within Apple's operating environments.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the SQLite database engine when processing specially crafted data structures. When a user visits a malicious website containing crafted SQLite database content, the vulnerable SQLite implementation fails to properly handle the malformed input, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged by remote attackers. This memory corruption typically manifests as heap-based buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. The vulnerability is classified as a heap-based buffer overflow under CWE-122, which represents a common class of memory corruption vulnerabilities that have been extensively documented in the cybersecurity community.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7000 is substantial as it provides attackers with a remote code execution capability that can be leveraged through standard web browsing activities. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous because it requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, and the exploitation can occur entirely within the browser environment. The vulnerability affects not just web browsers but any application that utilizes SQLite for database operations, potentially compromising a wide range of Apple applications including email clients, messaging applications, and other services that rely on local database storage. The memory corruption can also result in denial of service conditions, causing applications to crash and potentially leading to system instability or complete application failure.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and related remote code execution techniques, though it specifically targets SQLite database components rather than scripting interpreters. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including drive-by downloads, malicious advertisements, and compromised websites that embed crafted SQLite content. Security researchers have noted that the vulnerability's exploitation potential is enhanced by the fact that it operates at the database engine level, making it difficult to detect through traditional web application firewall rules or network-based intrusion detection systems. The attack surface is further expanded because SQLite is used extensively across Apple's ecosystem, meaning that successful exploitation could potentially compromise multiple applications simultaneously.
The recommended mitigations for CVE-2017-7000 include immediate deployment of Apple's security updates that patch the SQLite implementation and prevent the memory corruption from occurring. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected iOS and macOS systems to versions 10.3.2 and 10.12.5 respectively, as these updates contain the necessary patches to address the underlying vulnerability. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing web content filtering solutions that can detect and block known malicious SQLite-based attack patterns, though such measures may not be completely effective given the nature of the vulnerability. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of keeping all database components updated and monitoring for similar memory corruption issues in other database engines that may be present in the environment. Security teams should also implement comprehensive monitoring for unusual application crashes or memory usage patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts, as these may serve as early indicators of vulnerability exploitation.