CVE-2017-7040 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 • 05/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7040 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple Apple operating systems and applications. This vulnerability resides in the core web browsing component responsible for rendering web content across iOS, macOS, tvOS, and Windows applications. The flaw specifically impacts versions of iOS prior to 10.3.3, Safari before 10.1.2, iCloud before 6.2.2 on Windows, iTunes before 12.6.2 on Windows, and tvOS before 10.2.2, demonstrating the widespread reach of this WebKit-based vulnerability. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-119 as a weakness involving memory access violations, which allows attackers to manipulate memory in ways that could lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through crafted web content that triggers memory corruption within the WebKit engine's memory management systems. Attackers can construct malicious websites that, when loaded in affected browsers or applications, cause memory corruption that leads to application crashes or potentially allows remote code execution. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK framework category of T1059 for Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on target systems through web-based delivery mechanisms. The memory corruption typically manifests as heap-based buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions that occur when WebKit processes malformed web content.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7040 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable full system compromise in vulnerable environments. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability could allow attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects not only web browsers but also email clients and other applications that utilize WebKit for rendering web content, creating multiple attack vectors. Organizations and individuals using affected versions of Apple products face significant risk of targeted attacks, particularly in environments where users may be诱导 to visit malicious websites or receive compromised email attachments. The widespread nature of this vulnerability across multiple Apple platforms and applications makes it particularly dangerous as attackers can leverage a single exploit across multiple attack surfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7040 require immediate patching of all affected systems to the latest available versions of the affected software components. Apple released security updates for iOS 10.3.3, Safari 10.1.2, iCloud 6.2.2, iTunes 12.6.2, and tvOS 10.2.2 to address this vulnerability. Organizations should implement network-based security controls such as web application firewalls and content filtering to prevent access to known malicious websites until systems can be patched. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual application behavior or memory access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and opening suspicious email attachments. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against zero-day exploits that target widely used software components like WebKit. System administrators should prioritize patch management processes to ensure all affected Apple products are updated promptly, as the window of vulnerability exists from the time of disclosure until patch deployment.