CVE-2020-9933 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/16/2020
An authorization issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6, tvOS 13.4.8, watchOS 6.2.8. A malicious application may be able to read sensitive location information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-9933 represents a critical authorization flaw in Apple's mobile operating systems that allowed unauthorized access to sensitive location data. This issue stems from inadequate state management within the system's permission handling mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious applications to bypass normal security controls and access location information that should remain protected. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple platforms including iOS 13.6 and iPadOS 13.6, tvOS 13.4.8, and watchOS 6.2.8, indicating a systemic weakness in the authorization framework that requires careful examination of the underlying architectural components.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves improper state tracking during application permission requests and location data access operations. When applications request location permissions, the system should maintain strict state boundaries to ensure that only authorized applications can access sensitive geolocation data. However, the vulnerability allows malicious applications to exploit race conditions or state inconsistencies in the permission system, enabling them to read location information even when they have not been granted proper authorization. This issue falls under the CWE category of improper access control and represents a failure in the authorization mechanism that should enforce strict boundaries between applications and sensitive system resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-9933 extends beyond simple privacy concerns to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks that leverage location data for additional exploitation vectors. Attackers could use the unauthorized access to location information to build detailed profiles of user movements, identify home addresses, workplace locations, and other sensitive personal information that could be used for social engineering attacks, targeted phishing campaigns, or even physical security threats. The vulnerability creates a persistent backdoor that could remain active even after the initial exploitation, allowing attackers to maintain long-term access to location data without detection.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability primarily involves updating affected systems to the patched versions mentioned in the advisory, which implement improved state management and authorization controls. Organizations should prioritize deployment of iOS 13.6, iPadOS 13.6, tvOS 13.4.8, and watchOS 6.2.8 across all affected devices to eliminate the risk. Additionally, security teams should implement monitoring for suspicious application behavior and conduct regular audits of location permission settings to ensure that only legitimate applications have access to sensitive location data. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for privilege escalation and T1566 for credential access, demonstrating how authorization flaws can create pathways for broader system compromise. The fix addresses the root cause by implementing stricter state management protocols that ensure proper authorization boundaries are maintained throughout the application lifecycle, preventing unauthorized access to sensitive location information through malicious applications.