CVE-2018-4088 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11.2.5 is affected. macOS before 10.13.3 is affected. Safari before 11.0.3 is affected. iCloud before 7.3 on Windows is affected. iTunes before 12.7.3 on Windows is affected. tvOS before 11.2.5 is affected. watchOS before 4.2.2 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 • 02/02/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-4088 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affects multiple operating systems and applications. This vulnerability resides in the core web browsing component that powers Safari, iCloud, iTunes, and various other Apple products, making it particularly dangerous due to its widespread deployment across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw specifically impacts iOS versions prior to 11.2.5, macOS versions before 10.13.3, Safari versions before 11.0.3, iCloud versions before 7.3 on Windows, iTunes versions before 12.7.3 on Windows, tvOS versions before 11.2.5, and watchOS versions before 4.2.2, demonstrating the extensive scope of potential exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within WebKit's JavaScript engine and rendering components, which can be triggered through maliciously crafted web content. Attackers can exploit this weakness by hosting specially designed web pages that, when loaded in affected browsers or applications, cause memory corruption that leads to arbitrary code execution or application crashes. The memory corruption occurs during the processing of web content, particularly when handling complex JavaScript operations or rendering malicious HTML elements that manipulate memory structures in unexpected ways. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption and potentially arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-4088 extends far beyond typical web-based attacks due to the ubiquity of affected applications and the privilege levels at which they operate. When exploited, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to user systems, potentially enabling data theft, system compromise, or complete device control. The attack surface is particularly concerning because WebKit is used across multiple Apple platforms, meaning a single exploit could potentially affect mobile devices, desktop computers, and even Windows-based applications. This cross-platform nature aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Windows Scripting and T1059.006 for PowerShell, as attackers could leverage the vulnerability to execute malicious code through script-based attacks. The vulnerability also presents significant risk to enterprise environments where Apple devices are commonly used for business operations, potentially allowing attackers to compromise corporate networks through targeted attacks on individual devices.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-4088 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment and operational security measures. Apple released security updates for all affected versions, and system administrators should prioritize updating all affected devices to their latest supported versions. Organizations should implement network-based protections such as web content filtering and sandboxing measures to reduce the risk of exploitation. Additionally, users should be educated about the dangers of visiting untrusted websites and downloading content from unknown sources. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies, as the memory corruption nature makes traditional signature-based detection difficult to implement effectively. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual application crashes or memory usage patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability also underscores the necessity of regular security assessments and the importance of understanding that WebKit-based attacks can bypass traditional security controls due to the privileged nature of web rendering processes.