CVE-2017-7162 in watchOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11.2 is affected. macOS before 10.13.2 is affected. tvOS before 11.2 is affected. watchOS before 4.2 is affected. The issue involves the "IOKit" 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 • 08/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7162 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's IOKit kernel component that affected multiple operating systems including iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. This issue resides in the kernel-level driver framework that manages hardware device communication and system resources, making it particularly dangerous as it operates with elevated privileges and can directly impact system stability and security. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the IOKit subsystem, which processes device driver requests and manages kernel objects. When a malicious application attempts to interact with IOKit services through improper method calls or malformed data structures, the kernel fails to properly validate these inputs, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a crafted application that specifically targets the IOKit kernel component by sending malformed or specially constructed requests to kernel services. This flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges or cause system crashes and denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because IOKit operates at the kernel level where it has unrestricted access to system resources, memory, and hardware components. Attackers can exploit this weakness to bypass traditional security mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to sensitive system functions, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The memory corruption aspect of this vulnerability means that the kernel's memory management structures can be overwritten or manipulated, creating opportunities for privilege escalation attacks that align with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation techniques.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7162 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass serious security implications for affected Apple devices. Systems running vulnerable versions of iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS face potential compromise through seemingly legitimate applications that exploit this kernel vulnerability. The attack surface is particularly concerning because IOKit services are frequently accessed by legitimate system components and applications, making it difficult to distinguish between benign and malicious interactions. Organizations and individual users running affected versions face risks including unauthorized data access, system instability, and potential complete system compromise. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple Apple platforms indicates a fundamental issue within the kernel framework rather than isolated component failures. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, though the actual implementation involves memory corruption within kernel memory management structures that can be exploited through improper input handling in kernel services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7162 primarily focus on immediate system updates and patch management, with Apple releasing security updates for all affected platforms including iOS 11.2, macOS 10.13.2, tvOS 11.2, and watchOS 4.2. The most effective defense involves applying these security patches promptly to ensure kernel-level protections are restored. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management processes to verify that all affected Apple devices receive updates, particularly in enterprise environments where device management and security policies need enforcement. Additional mitigations include implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted applications, monitoring system logs for unusual IOKit service access patterns, and maintaining up-to-date security monitoring solutions that can detect potential exploitation attempts. Network-level defenses should focus on preventing the distribution of malicious applications through app stores and other distribution channels, while endpoint protection solutions should be configured to detect and block suspicious kernel-level activities. The vulnerability's nature as a kernel-level issue means that traditional user-space security controls may be insufficient, requiring system-level security measures and potentially rebooting systems to ensure complete patch application. Security teams should also consider implementing incident response procedures specifically designed to handle kernel-level compromise scenarios, as the severity of this vulnerability requires immediate attention and comprehensive system assessment following any exploitation attempts.