CVE-2022-46695 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2022
A spoofing issue existed in the handling of URLs. This issue was addressed with improved input validation. This issue is fixed in tvOS 16.2, macOS Ventura 13.1, iOS 15.7.2 and iPadOS 15.7.2, iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2, watchOS 9.2. Visiting a website that frames malicious content may lead to UI spoofing.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2023
This vulnerability represents a significant UI spoofing flaw that could deceive users through carefully crafted web content. The issue manifests in how the affected operating systems process and display URLs, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate user interfaces in ways that appear legitimate. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize or verify URL structures before rendering them in user-facing interfaces. This type of weakness falls under the broader category of user interface deception attacks where malicious actors can exploit the trust users place in familiar interface elements.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows for frame-based content injection that can overlay legitimate interface elements with malicious counterparts. When users navigate to compromised websites, the system's handling of framed content can result in misleading displays where attackers can craft interfaces that appear to belong to trusted entities. This spoofing capability specifically targets the visual presentation layer of the operating systems, enabling attackers to potentially capture user credentials, sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious destinations. The vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient validation that permits potentially harmful content to influence the user experience.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple visual deception to potentially enable more sophisticated attack vectors. Users interacting with affected systems could be deceived into believing they are engaging with legitimate services while actually encountering malicious content. This risk becomes particularly pronounced in environments where users might be prompted to enter sensitive information or perform actions that could be exploited. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple operating systems including tvOS, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS, indicating a widespread exposure across Apple's ecosystem. The exploitability of this issue increases when users visit compromised websites that leverage framing techniques to present misleading content.
The fix implemented by Apple addresses this vulnerability through enhanced input validation mechanisms that properly sanitize URL content before rendering. This remediation aligns with established security practices for preventing UI spoofing attacks and follows the principle of least privilege in interface handling. The patches released for tvOS 16.2, macOS Ventura 13.1, and various iOS/iPadOS versions demonstrate Apple's approach to addressing this class of vulnerability through comprehensive system updates. Organizations should prioritize deployment of these updates to protect their users from potential exploitation. The mitigation strategy emphasizes the importance of maintaining current system versions and implementing additional security measures such as network monitoring and user education to detect and prevent potential exploitation attempts.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 and CWE-79 security weaknesses, specifically addressing URL redirection and cross-site scripting concerns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1531 and T1059 techniques for user interface deception and exploitation of trusted relationships. The remediation approach demonstrates proper security engineering practices through input validation and proper content sanitization. Security professionals should consider this vulnerability as part of broader UI security assessments and ensure that similar validation gaps are addressed in other application components. The incident highlights the ongoing need for robust security controls in user-facing interfaces and the importance of maintaining vigilance against subtle exploitation techniques that can bypass traditional security measures.