CVE-2017-7157 in iTunes
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11.2 is affected. Safari before 11.0.2 is affected. iCloud before 7.2 on Windows is affected. iTunes before 12.7.2 on Windows is affected. tvOS before 11.2 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 • 01/27/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7157 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple Apple platforms and applications. This vulnerability resides in the core web browsing component that powers Safari, iCloud, iTunes, and other Apple applications across iOS, macOS, tvOS, and Windows implementations. The flaw manifests as a remote code execution vulnerability that could be exploited through maliciously crafted web content delivered via compromised websites. Security researchers have classified this issue as a heap-based buffer overflow that occurs during the processing of specific web content, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered simply by visiting an infected webpage without any user interaction beyond normal browsing activities.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within WebKit's JavaScript engine and HTML parsing components. When the affected applications process maliciously crafted web pages containing specially constructed JavaScript code or HTML elements, the memory corruption occurs during the rendering process, leading to unpredictable behavior including arbitrary code execution or application crashes. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 vulnerability category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for JavaScript execution. The flaw demonstrates how memory corruption vulnerabilities in core rendering engines can provide attackers with complete system compromise capabilities, as demonstrated by the ability to execute arbitrary code remotely.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7157 extends across Apple's entire ecosystem, affecting users of iOS 11.1 and earlier versions, Safari 11.0.1 and earlier, iCloud 7.1 and earlier on Windows, iTunes 12.7.1 and earlier on Windows, and tvOS 11.1 and earlier versions. Organizations and individuals using these affected versions face significant risk of compromise through drive-by downloads or compromised websites that leverage this vulnerability. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not need physical access to devices or user interaction beyond visiting malicious websites, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users may inadvertently access compromised content. This vulnerability was particularly concerning as it affected both mobile and desktop platforms, creating a wide attack surface that could be exploited across multiple device types and operating systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7157 primarily focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by Apple. Users should immediately upgrade to iOS 11.2, Safari 11.0.2, iCloud 7.2, iTunes 12.7.2, and tvOS 11.2 or later versions to address the memory corruption issue. Network administrators should implement web filtering solutions and browser security controls to prevent access to known malicious domains until updates are deployed. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include web content filtering, network monitoring, and endpoint protection. Security teams should also conduct vulnerability assessments to identify any systems still running affected versions and implement mandatory update policies to ensure complete remediation across all endpoints. Organizations should consider implementing browser isolation technologies and sandboxing measures as additional protective layers against similar future vulnerabilities in rendering engines.