CVE-2017-7115 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11 is affected. tvOS before 11 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 that leverages a race condition.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7115 represents a critical security flaw affecting multiple Apple operating systems including iOS versions prior to 11 and tvOS versions prior to 11. This weakness specifically targets the Wi-Fi component within these systems, creating a significant attack surface that adversaries can exploit to gain elevated privileges or disrupt system operations. The vulnerability stems from a race condition present in how the Wi-Fi subsystem processes incoming network traffic, allowing malicious actors to craft specific Wi-Fi packets that trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying system architecture.
The technical nature of this flaw involves a race condition within the Wi-Fi processing pipeline where multiple threads or processes access shared resources without proper synchronization mechanisms. When crafted malicious Wi-Fi traffic is received by an affected device, the timing of various system operations creates a window where memory corruption can occur. This memory corruption vulnerability enables attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code with system-level privileges, effectively bypassing normal security boundaries and gaining unauthorized access to critical system functions. The race condition manifests when the system attempts to handle concurrent Wi-Fi operations while simultaneously processing malicious payloads that exploit timing dependencies in the network stack implementation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to affected Apple devices since it allows remote code execution without requiring physical access or user interaction. Attackers can leverage this flaw from anywhere within Wi-Fi range of a vulnerable device, making it particularly dangerous in public spaces or corporate environments where wireless networks are prevalent. The potential for denial of service attacks represents another significant concern, as memory corruption can cause system crashes, reboots, or complete system instability. Organizations using Apple devices in sensitive environments face increased risk of data breaches, system compromise, and operational disruption when these devices remain unpatched.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-367, which addresses time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race conditions, and reflects patterns commonly found in network protocol implementations where timing-sensitive operations create exploitable conditions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and execution of malicious code through network-based attacks. The remote exploitation capability places this vulnerability in the category of network-based attacks that can be executed without user interaction, making it particularly concerning for enterprise security. Security professionals should prioritize patching affected systems and implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous Wi-Fi traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider network segmentation strategies to limit the potential impact of such attacks and ensure comprehensive vulnerability management processes that include regular security updates for all Apple operating systems.