CVE-2017-7039 in iTunes
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.3.3 is affected. Safari before 10.1.2 is affected. iCloud before 6.2.2 on Windows is affected. iTunes before 12.6.2 on Windows is affected. tvOS before 10.2.2 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.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7039 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affects multiple operating systems and applications. This vulnerability resides in the core web browsing component that powers Safari browsers across Apple's ecosystem, including iOS, macOS, and tvOS platforms. The flaw manifests when WebKit processes maliciously crafted web content, creating opportunities for remote code execution and system instability. Security researchers identified that the vulnerability stems from improper memory handling during web page rendering operations, particularly when processing complex web elements that trigger buffer overflows or heap corruption conditions. The affected versions span across iOS 10.3.2 and earlier, Safari 10.1.1 and earlier, iCloud 6.2.1 and earlier on Windows, iTunes 12.6.1 and earlier on Windows, and tvOS 10.2.1 and earlier, indicating a widespread impact across Apple's product portfolio. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of multiple attack vectors and presents significant risks to users who browse the internet without proper security updates. The memory corruption issue allows attackers to manipulate the WebKit engine's memory management systems, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or complete application crashes. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, which describes a condition where a program reads data past the end of a valid buffer, potentially leading to memory corruption and system instability. The attack surface extends beyond simple web browsing to include potential exploitation through malicious websites, email attachments, or compromised web services that serve crafted content to vulnerable systems. The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it can be exploited remotely without user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or targeted attacks against Apple device users. The vulnerability's exploitation pathway aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203: Exploitation for Client Execution, which involves using malicious code to gain remote access to target systems. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability specifically relates to techniques that manipulate program memory to achieve unauthorized code execution, making it a prime target for advanced persistent threat actors seeking to establish footholds within Apple environments. Organizations and individual users face significant risk when running unpatched versions of affected Apple software, as the vulnerability can be leveraged for complete system compromise. The nature of the flaw suggests that attackers could potentially bypass security mechanisms such as address space layout randomization and code execution protection features. The vulnerability's discovery and subsequent patching by Apple demonstrates the ongoing challenges in securing complex web rendering engines that must handle diverse content types while maintaining robust security boundaries. The widespread nature of the affected products indicates that Apple's WebKit component serves as a critical attack surface across their entire ecosystem, requiring comprehensive patch management strategies to mitigate risk effectively. Security professionals should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems and implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw places it in the highest risk category, requiring immediate attention from security teams across all organizations using Apple products. The memory corruption characteristics of this vulnerability align with common exploitation patterns found in browser-based attacks, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where Apple devices are prevalent.