CVE-2018-4114 in iCloud
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11.3 is affected. Safari before 11.1 is affected. iCloud before 7.4 on Windows is affected. iTunes before 12.7.4 on Windows is affected. tvOS before 11.3 is affected. watchOS before 4.3 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 • 02/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-4114 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's WebKit rendering engine that affects multiple operating systems and applications. This vulnerability specifically targets the WebKit component which serves as the foundation for Safari web browser functionality across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw exists in iOS versions prior to 11.3, Safari versions prior to 11.1, iCloud for Windows versions prior to 7.4, iTunes for Windows versions prior to 12.7.4, tvOS versions prior to 11.3, and watchOS versions prior to 4.3. The vulnerability operates through a crafted website that can be loaded in a web browser, potentially allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause system crashes. This represents a significant security risk as it could enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to user devices or disrupt normal system operations without requiring physical access or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under memory corruption issues that are commonly categorized as CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions where an attacker can access memory locations beyond the bounds of allocated buffers. The flaw likely stems from improper input validation or buffer management within WebKit's JavaScript engine or rendering components when processing maliciously crafted web content. Attackers can exploit this by hosting specially crafted web pages that trigger memory corruption during normal web browsing operations. The vulnerability's remote execution capability means that users do not need to download or install anything beyond visiting a malicious website, making it particularly dangerous for widespread exploitation. The memory corruption can manifest in various ways including heap corruption, stack overflow conditions, or use-after-free errors that ultimately lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for Apple device users who may unknowingly visit compromised websites while browsing the internet. The affected platforms span across mobile, desktop, and embedded systems within Apple's ecosystem, making the attack surface particularly broad. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability could potentially be leveraged in phishing campaigns, drive-by download attacks, or as part of larger attack chains where initial compromise leads to further exploitation. The fact that it affects both iOS and Windows versions of Apple applications means that users running iTunes or iCloud on Windows systems are also at risk, extending the potential attack vectors beyond mobile devices alone. The vulnerability's ability to cause application crashes represents a denial of service risk that could be used to disrupt user productivity or as a precursor to more sophisticated attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-4114 should focus on immediate patch deployment across all affected Apple platforms. Users should update to iOS 11.3 or later, Safari 11.1 or later, iCloud 7.4 or later for Windows, iTunes 12.7.4 or later for Windows, tvOS 11.3 or later, and watchOS 4.3 or later. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect access to known malicious domains and consider temporary browser restrictions or content filtering measures while updates are deployed. Security teams should also monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability and implement proper incident response procedures. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation of remote services and web applications, and T1059, covering command and control communication through scripting languages. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software across all platforms and highlights the critical nature of browser security in preventing remote code execution attacks. Regular security assessments should include verification of patch compliance across all Apple platforms within the organization's environment.