CVE-2019-8799 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/28/2020
This issue was resolved by replacing device names with a random identifier. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.1 and iPadOS 13.1, macOS Catalina 10.15, watchOS 6, tvOS 13. An attacker in physical proximity may be able to passively observe device names in AWDL communications.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2019-8799 represents a significant privacy exposure in Apple's wireless communication protocols, specifically within the AirDrop and Wireless Direct Link (AWDL) frameworks. This issue stems from the use of predictable device names in wireless communications, which creates an information disclosure vulnerability that can be exploited by attackers in close physical proximity to target devices. The flaw exists in how Apple's operating systems handle device identification during peer-to-peer wireless connections, particularly when devices are in discoverable mode or actively participating in wireless direct communication networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the transmission of human-readable device names over wireless channels in the AWDL protocol, which operates at the link layer of wireless communication. This practice violates fundamental security principles by exposing identifying information that should remain hidden from unauthorized observers. The device names are transmitted in beacon frames and discovery messages that are broadcast openly within the wireless network, making them accessible to any attacker with appropriate wireless monitoring equipment and physical proximity to the target device. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure" and specifically covers situations where sensitive information is unintentionally disclosed through improper data handling or communication protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks within the context of physical proximity threats. An attacker positioned within wireless range can passive observe these device names and correlate them with known user identities, potentially leading to social engineering attacks, targeted phishing campaigns, or location tracking based on device identification patterns. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple platforms including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, indicating a systemic issue in the wireless communication stack that requires platform-wide remediation. This cross-platform exposure increases the attack surface significantly and demonstrates the interconnected nature of Apple's ecosystem security.
The mitigation strategy implemented by Apple in response to this vulnerability involved replacing human-readable device names with random identifiers during AWDL communications, effectively breaking the correlation between observed wireless traffic and actual device identities. This approach addresses the root cause by ensuring that wireless discovery messages contain only non-identifiable random data rather than meaningful device names. The fix demonstrates adherence to security best practices by implementing the principle of least information disclosure, where only the minimal required information is exposed during network operations. This remediation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers credential access through social engineering and information gathering through network reconnaissance, by eliminating the passive reconnaissance capability that was previously available to attackers. The solution represents a fundamental shift in how Apple handles device identification in wireless contexts, moving from predictable naming schemes to randomized identifiers that prevent correlation attacks while maintaining functional wireless communication capabilities.