CVE-2017-7172 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. iCloud before 7.2 on Windows is affected. iTunes before 12.7.2 on Windows is affected. tvOS before 11.2 is affected. watchOS before 4.2 is affected. The issue involves the "CFNetwork Session" 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 • 01/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7172 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's CFNetwork Session component that affects multiple operating systems and applications. This issue resides in the core networking framework that handles network communications for Apple's ecosystem, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited across various platforms including iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and even Windows implementations of iCloud and iTunes. The vulnerability specifically targets the session management functionality within CFNetwork, which is responsible for handling network connections and data transfers between applications and remote servers.
The technical nature of this flaw involves memory corruption that occurs when processing specially crafted network requests or data streams. Attackers can exploit this weakness through malicious applications that manipulate network session parameters, leading to unpredictable memory behavior that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic privilege escalation vector that allows attackers to gain system-level access or cause system instability. The exploitation requires minimal user interaction since the vulnerability can be triggered through normal application usage when the malicious app establishes network connections.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7172 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to include full system compromise capabilities. When successfully exploited, attackers can execute code in a privileged context, effectively bypassing standard security boundaries that protect user data and system integrity. This vulnerability particularly affects versions of Apple's software released prior to the security patches in iOS 11.2, macOS 10.13.2, and their respective companion applications, making millions of devices potentially vulnerable. The attack surface is broad due to the fundamental role that CFNetwork plays in network communications, meaning that any application utilizing Apple's networking stack could serve as an exploitation vector.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of all affected systems and applications, with particular attention to the Windows implementations of iCloud and iTunes that are also impacted. System administrators should implement network monitoring to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also ensuring that all Apple software is updated to versions that contain the necessary security fixes. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices in network stack implementations and highlights the need for regular security assessments of core system components. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to limit the execution of potentially malicious applications that could exploit this weakness through crafted network requests.