CVE-2018-4202 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 11.4 is affected. macOS before 10.13.5 is affected. The issue involves the "iBooks" component. It allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof a password prompt.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/20/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-4202 resides within Apple's iBooks component affecting iOS versions prior to 11.4 and macOS versions prior to 10.13.5. This security flaw represents a significant concern for users who rely on Apple's digital reading ecosystem, particularly those accessing protected content through the iBooks application. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanism employed by iBooks when users attempt to access password-protected documents or content within the application.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient certificate validation mechanisms within the iBooks component. Attackers exploiting this weakness can perform man-in-the-middle attacks that successfully spoof legitimate password prompts, effectively deceiving users into entering their credentials into malicious interfaces. This flaw operates at the network layer where secure communications should be established but instead allows attackers to intercept and manipulate the authentication flow. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-295 which specifically addresses "Improper Certificate Validation" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1557.001 for "Adversary-in-the-Middle" attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-4202 extends beyond simple credential theft, as it undermines the fundamental security assumptions of Apple's iBooks ecosystem. Users accessing protected digital content, including textbooks, academic materials, or proprietary documents, face potential exposure of their authentication credentials to malicious actors. This vulnerability particularly affects educational institutions and corporate environments where sensitive digital content is commonly shared through iBooks. The attack vector typically requires network proximity or interception capabilities, making it particularly concerning for users in public Wi-Fi environments or shared network spaces.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates to the patched versions of iOS 11.4 and macOS 10.13.5, which contain the necessary certificate validation improvements. Users should also implement network security measures such as encrypted connections and network monitoring to detect potential man-in-the-middle attempts. Security administrators should consider implementing additional authentication layers for sensitive content access and regularly audit their Apple device configurations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and highlights how even seemingly benign applications can contain critical security flaws that compromise user authentication processes. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and secure access controls to minimize the attack surface when users access protected digital content through Apple devices.