CVE-2017-7110 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11 is affected. tvOS before 11 is affected. watchOS before 4 is affected. The issue involves the "Wi-Fi" component. It might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via crafted Wi-Fi traffic.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7110 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's wireless networking stack affecting multiple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 11, tvOS versions prior to 11, and watchOS versions prior to 4. This issue specifically targets the Wi-Fi component of these systems, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the underlying network protocols. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of crafted Wi-Fi traffic that can lead to memory corruption within the privileged network processing components. Such flaws typically arise from insufficient input validation and memory management practices within the kernel-level networking drivers that handle wireless communication protocols. The affected systems process incoming Wi-Fi frames without adequate sanitization, allowing attackers to construct malicious packets that trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when maliciously crafted Wi-Fi packets are transmitted to vulnerable devices within range of the affected network. These packets contain specially constructed data that, when processed by the Wi-Fi driver, causes memory corruption in the kernel space where privileged operations occur. The memory corruption can manifest as buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other heap corruption scenarios that allow attackers to gain elevated privileges or cause system crashes. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it operates over the wireless medium without requiring physical access or user interaction, making it a remote code execution vulnerability. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios that can lead to privilege escalation.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7110 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges, effectively bypassing all standard security protections and access controls. This privilege escalation capability enables attackers to install malicious software, access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or establish persistent backdoors within the affected devices. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Apple devices including iPhones, iPads, Apple TV systems, and Apple Watch devices, creating a widespread attack surface that could potentially impact millions of users. The memory corruption issues can also lead to system instability and crashes, creating availability concerns that may be exploited for denial of service attacks against targeted devices or networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7110 primarily focus on immediate system updates and network security measures. Apple addressed this vulnerability through security updates released for iOS 11, tvOS 11, and watchOS 4, which included patches to the Wi-Fi driver components and enhanced input validation for wireless frame processing. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of these security patches across all affected devices, particularly in enterprise environments where multiple Apple devices may be in use. Network administrators can implement additional protective measures such as monitoring for anomalous Wi-Fi traffic patterns, implementing wireless intrusion detection systems, and configuring network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in kernel-level components and highlights the necessity of regular security assessments of core operating system functions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and remote code execution, specifically targeting the network infrastructure and wireless communication protocols to establish persistent access to affected systems.