CVE-2017-7114 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11 is affected. macOS before 10.13 is affected. tvOS before 11 is affected. watchOS before 4 is affected. The issue involves the "Kernel" component. It allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7114 represents a critical kernel-level flaw affecting multiple Apple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 11, macOS versions before 10.13, tvOS versions before 11, and watchOS versions before 4. This security weakness resides within the kernel component of these systems, making it particularly dangerous as the kernel serves as the core operating system layer responsible for system resource management and security enforcement. The flaw enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges or potentially cause system crashes through carefully crafted malicious applications. The vulnerability's impact spans across Apple's entire ecosystem, affecting devices from smartphones and tablets to desktop computers and smart TVs, demonstrating the widespread nature of the kernel-level weakness.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves memory corruption that occurs when the kernel processes specially crafted applications. This type of flaw typically stems from inadequate input validation or buffer overflow conditions within kernel code that handles application execution and memory management. Attackers can exploit this weakness by installing and running a malicious application that triggers the kernel memory corruption, potentially allowing them to escalate privileges from regular user context to kernel-level access. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-119, which addresses "Improper Access to Memory" and represents a fundamental breakdown in memory safety mechanisms. Such memory corruption vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can be leveraged to bypass system security controls and execute unauthorized code with the highest level of system privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7114 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it represents a foundational security weakness that could enable sophisticated attacks across Apple's device portfolio. Mobile devices running affected versions become susceptible to persistent malware that can remain undetected while gaining complete system control, potentially compromising user data, communications, and device integrity. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only a malicious application installation, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users might inadvertently download compromised software from untrusted sources. This weakness directly impacts Apple's security model by undermining the kernel's role as a trusted execution environment and could enable attacks that align with ATT&CK technique T1056, which covers credential access and privilege escalation through kernel-level manipulation. The vulnerability's presence in multiple operating systems suggests a systemic issue in Apple's kernel implementation that required comprehensive patching across all affected platforms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7114 primarily focus on immediate system updates and patches provided by Apple to address the kernel-level memory corruption flaw. Users must upgrade to affected operating systems including iOS 11, macOS 10.13, tvOS 11, and watchOS 4 to eliminate the vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management policies ensuring all Apple devices within their environments receive timely updates. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious application installations and behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date system software and demonstrates the critical nature of kernel security in preventing privilege escalation attacks. Additional defensive measures include implementing application whitelisting policies and network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, while the underlying issue requires Apple's comprehensive kernel security improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future releases.