CVE-2019-8753 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/28/2020
This issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15, watchOS 6, iOS 13, tvOS 13. Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to a cross site scripting attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2020
This vulnerability represents a cross site scripting flaw that emerged in Apple's operating systems prior to the release of macOS Catalina 10.15, watchOS 6, iOS 13, and tvOS 13. The security issue stemmed from insufficient validation mechanisms when processing web content, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject harmful scripts into web applications. The flaw specifically manifested when systems encountered crafted web content that exploited weaknesses in input sanitization and output encoding processes, potentially allowing attackers to execute unauthorized code within the context of a user's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes cross site scripting weaknesses in web applications. This classification indicates that the flaw occurred in the validation and encoding of user-supplied data, where the systems failed to properly sanitize input before rendering it in web interfaces. The vulnerability could be exploited through various vectors including maliciously crafted web pages, email content, or web applications that did not adequately filter or escape user-provided data. Attackers could leverage this weakness to inject malicious scripts that would execute in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extended across Apple's ecosystem, affecting users of mobile devices, desktop computers, and wearable technology. When exploited, the XSS vulnerability could enable attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute unauthorized commands on behalf of authenticated users. The widespread nature of the affected platforms meant that users across multiple device categories faced potential exposure, particularly when browsing untrusted websites or interacting with compromised web content. The vulnerability's exploitation could result in unauthorized access to sensitive user data, including personal information, communications, and potentially system credentials.
Apple's resolution of this vulnerability through the release of updated operating systems implemented enhanced input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The mitigations included improved sanitization of web content, strengthened HTML escaping routines, and enhanced filtering of user-supplied data before rendering in web contexts. These security improvements align with ATT&CK technique T1203, which describes exploitation of web applications for code execution. Organizations and users should implement the updated operating system versions as soon as possible to prevent exploitation, while also maintaining awareness of social engineering tactics that might deliver malicious web content. The fix demonstrates Apple's commitment to addressing web application security weaknesses and maintaining user protection against evolving threats in the mobile and desktop computing environment.