CVE-2018-4240 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. tvOS before 11.4 is affected. watchOS before 4.3.1 is affected. The issue involves the "Messages" component. It allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted message.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-4240 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Apple's Messages application across multiple operating systems. This weakness affects iOS versions prior to 11.4, macOS versions before 10.13.5, tvOS versions before 11.4, and watchOS versions before 4.3.1, demonstrating the widespread nature of the issue within Apple's ecosystem. The vulnerability specifically resides in the Messages component, which serves as a fundamental communication service for users across all affected platforms. Security researchers have classified this issue under CWE-400, which encompasses improper handling of resources, particularly focusing on denial of service conditions that can be triggered through malformed input processing. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the messaging system by crafting specially designed messages that, when processed by vulnerable devices, cause the application to crash or become unresponsive.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of message content that triggers an unhandled exception or resource exhaustion within the Messages application. When a user receives a crafted message, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize the incoming data, leading to a cascade of system failures that result in service disruption. This type of attack falls under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which specifically addresses network denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion or application crashes. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices where the Messages application does not adequately check message parameters before processing them, allowing malicious actors to inject malformed data that causes the system to behave unpredictably. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no user interaction beyond receiving the message, making it a passive threat that can affect users without their knowledge or consent.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-4240 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise user communication reliability and system stability. Affected users may experience complete loss of messaging functionality, requiring manual intervention to restore normal operation through device restarts or application resets. This vulnerability particularly affects users who rely heavily on messaging services for both personal and professional communication, creating significant disruption to daily operations. Organizations with mobile device management systems may face challenges in maintaining communication continuity across their fleets of affected devices, as the vulnerability can affect multiple device types simultaneously. The resource consumption patterns associated with this flaw suggest that attackers could potentially amplify the impact by sending multiple malicious messages, leading to sustained service degradation that could persist until the device is manually restarted. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of timely security updates, as users running outdated versions of Apple's operating systems remain exposed to this persistent threat.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-4240 primarily focus on immediate software updates to patched versions of Apple's operating systems. Users should prioritize updating their devices to iOS 11.4, macOS 10.13.5, tvOS 11.4, and watchOS 4.3.1, which contain the necessary security patches to address the vulnerability. Network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual message traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also maintaining comprehensive backup procedures for communication systems. The vulnerability underscores the importance of regular security patch management and demonstrates how seemingly minor components like messaging applications can contain critical flaws that affect entire operating system ecosystems. Security professionals should consider implementing message filtering solutions at network boundaries to prevent the delivery of potentially malicious messages to affected devices, although this approach may not be foolproof given the nature of the vulnerability. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of receiving messages from unknown sources and should be encouraged to maintain current software versions to minimize exposure to such threats.