CVE-2017-7113 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11.1 is affected. The issue involves the "UIKit" component. It allows attackers to bypass intended read restrictions for secure text fields via vectors involving a focus-change event.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7113 represents a significant security flaw within Apple's iOS operating system affecting versions prior to 11.1. This issue resides within the UIKit framework, which serves as the foundational user interface component for iOS applications and system interfaces. The vulnerability specifically targets secure text fields that are designed to protect sensitive information such as passwords, PINs, and other confidential data by masking input characters. The flaw enables attackers to circumvent the intended security protections that these secure text fields are meant to provide, creating a potential exposure for sensitive user data.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves a focus-change event that allows malicious actors to exploit a weakness in how UIKit handles secure text field behavior during user interaction scenarios. When a user interacts with secure text fields, the system typically maintains the masked state to prevent unauthorized observation of input data. However, the flaw in the UIKit component permits attackers to manipulate the focus state of these text fields in a manner that reveals the actual content being entered, effectively bypassing the secure text field's protective mechanisms. This occurs through a sequence of events that exploit the timing and state management of the focus-change process, allowing for the extraction of sensitive information that should remain obscured.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it undermines the fundamental security assumptions that users and developers rely upon when implementing secure input mechanisms. Attackers can potentially exploit this vulnerability through various means including malicious applications, jailbreak tools, or through more sophisticated attack vectors that manipulate the user interface state transitions. The vulnerability particularly affects scenarios where users enter sensitive information such as passwords, account credentials, or personal identification numbers into secure text fields. This creates a significant risk for applications that depend on secure text fields to protect confidential data, as the vulnerability could enable unauthorized access to information that is critical to user privacy and security.
Security researchers have classified this vulnerability under CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and it aligns with ATT&CK technique T1555.004 related to "Credentials from Password Stores." The flaw demonstrates how improper handling of user interface state transitions can create security boundaries that are easily exploitable. Organizations and users should understand that this vulnerability represents a failure in the security model of iOS applications that rely on secure text fields for protection. The impact extends to any application that utilizes secure text fields for password entry, authentication, or other sensitive data input, potentially affecting enterprise applications, banking apps, and any system where user credentials are processed through the iOS interface framework.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to iOS version 11.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the focus-change event handling in UIKit. Additionally, developers should implement additional application-level protections when handling sensitive input data, including verifying that secure text field behaviors are properly maintained even when third-party applications or system components attempt to manipulate focus states. Organizations should conduct security assessments of their iOS applications to identify any potential reliance on vulnerable secure text field behaviors and ensure that their applications maintain proper security boundaries even in the presence of system-level vulnerabilities. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper state management in user interface components and how seemingly minor implementation flaws can create significant security risks.