CVE-2019-8719 in iCloud
Summary
by MITRE
A logic issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in tvOS 13, iTunes for Windows 12.10.1, iCloud for Windows 10.7, iCloud for Windows 7.14. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to universal cross site scripting.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-8719 represents a logic flaw in Apple's software ecosystem that was resolved through enhanced state management protocols. This issue affected multiple platforms including tvOS 13, iTunes for Windows 12.10.1, and various versions of iCloud for Windows, demonstrating the interconnected nature of Apple's cross-platform security architecture. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that allowed maliciously crafted web content to exploit state management inconsistencies, potentially enabling unauthorized access to sensitive user data across Apple's ecosystem.
The technical flaw manifests as a universal cross-site scripting vulnerability that occurs when the affected software fails to properly sanitize user input from web content. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute across different domains within the same browser context, bypassing traditional security boundaries. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the inherent trust relationships between different components of Apple's software stack, particularly affecting how web content is processed and rendered in the context of iCloud and iTunes applications. According to CWE standards, this corresponds to CWE-79 which addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities through inadequate input validation and output encoding.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-8719 extends beyond simple data theft, as the universal nature of the cross-site scripting vulnerability enables attackers to compromise user sessions across multiple Apple services. An attacker could potentially leverage this vulnerability to access iCloud storage, manipulate iTunes library data, or hijack user sessions on tvOS devices. The attack vector requires minimal user interaction, typically involving the execution of malicious web content through phishing emails, compromised websites, or social engineering tactics that trick users into visiting malicious pages. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1566 which involves social engineering attacks to gain initial access to systems through malicious web content.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include immediate deployment of the patched versions mentioned in the advisory, specifically tvOS 13, iTunes for Windows 12.10.1, and iCloud for Windows versions 10.7 and 7.14. Organizations should implement comprehensive web content filtering solutions and establish strict browser security policies that restrict access to untrusted web content. Network administrators should deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts, while security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to suspicious web traffic patterns. Additionally, user education programs should emphasize the importance of avoiding suspicious web content and verifying the authenticity of web pages before interacting with them, particularly in environments where Apple ecosystem applications are actively used.