CVE-2017-7104 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11 is affected. Safari before 11 is affected. iCloud before 7.0 on Windows is affected. iTunes before 12.7 on Windows is affected. tvOS before 11 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 • 01/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7104 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple Apple platforms and applications. This vulnerability specifically targets the WebKit component which serves as the foundational browser engine powering Safari, iCloud, iTunes, and various other Apple applications across iOS, macOS, tvOS, and Windows platforms. The flaw exists in how WebKit processes certain crafted web content, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit the system through malicious websites. The vulnerability affects iOS versions prior to 11.0, Safari versions before 11.0, iCloud versions before 7.0 on Windows, iTunes versions before 12.7 on Windows, and tvOS versions prior to 11.0, indicating a widespread impact across Apple's ecosystem.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within the WebKit engine when processing specially crafted web content. Attackers can construct malicious websites that, when loaded in affected browsers or applications, trigger memory corruption conditions that result in arbitrary code execution or system crashes. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-125, which describes "Out-of-bounds Read" conditions that can lead to memory corruption and potentially arbitrary code execution. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing and rendering of web content, specifically when WebKit encounters malformed or malicious input that it cannot properly handle, leading to buffer overflows or other memory management errors.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7104 extends beyond simple application crashes to represent a significant security risk for users of affected Apple products. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on target systems without user interaction, making it particularly dangerous as users may unknowingly visit compromised websites. The vulnerability enables attackers to potentially gain full system control, access sensitive user data, install malicious software, or cause persistent denial of service conditions. This capability aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques such as T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, as the vulnerability can be used to establish persistent access and escalate privileges within compromised systems.
Organizations and individual users affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the latest versions of affected Apple products where patches are available. Apple released security updates for iOS 11, Safari 11, iCloud 7.0, iTunes 12.7, and tvOS 11 to address this vulnerability. System administrators should prioritize patch management to ensure all affected devices receive the necessary security updates. Additional protective measures include implementing web content filtering solutions, enabling sandboxing features where available, and educating users about the risks of visiting untrusted websites. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all platforms and highlights the critical nature of browser engine security in protecting against sophisticated remote exploitation attacks.