CVE-2018-4330 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
In iOS before 11.4, a memory corruption issue exists and was addressed with improved memory handling.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-4330 represents a memory corruption flaw affecting iOS versions prior to 11.4, demonstrating a critical weakness in Apple's mobile operating system security architecture. This issue falls under the broader category of memory safety vulnerabilities that have historically plagued mobile platforms, where improper memory management can lead to unpredictable system behavior and potential exploitation by malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically manifests in the kernel-level memory handling mechanisms that govern how the operating system allocates, manages, and deallocates memory resources for various system processes and applications.
The technical nature of this memory corruption vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory validation procedures within iOS kernel components. When processing certain memory operations or handling specific data structures, the system fails to properly validate memory access patterns, leading to situations where memory can be overwritten or accessed beyond its allocated boundaries. This type of flaw typically occurs when developers fail to implement proper input validation or when existing memory management routines contain logic errors that allow unauthorized memory access. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios, both of which are common manifestations of memory corruption vulnerabilities in operating system kernels.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-4330 extends beyond simple system instability, as memory corruption vulnerabilities often provide attackers with opportunities to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges within the affected system. Mobile devices running vulnerable iOS versions become susceptible to various attack vectors including remote code execution, privilege escalation, and potential data compromise. The vulnerability's presence in the kernel level means that successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain deep system access, potentially enabling surveillance capabilities, data theft, or complete device compromise. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1068 (Local Privilege Escalation) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) where attackers could leverage the memory corruption to execute malicious code with elevated privileges.
The remediation for this vulnerability required Apple to implement enhanced memory handling procedures throughout the iOS kernel, including improved bounds checking mechanisms, stricter memory allocation validation, and enhanced memory deallocation routines. These improvements align with industry best practices for secure memory management as outlined in secure coding standards and guidelines from organizations such as the CERT Coordination Center. The iOS 11.4 update specifically addressed this issue by strengthening the memory management subsystem to prevent the conditions that previously led to memory corruption, thereby closing the attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors. Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability should prioritize updating to iOS 11.4 or later versions to mitigate the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date mobile security patches and highlights the ongoing need for rigorous memory safety practices in operating system development.