Overview
The CVE-2023-42977 vulnerability is a severe security flaw that affects users of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma 14. This vulnerability arises from a path handling issue that, if successfully exploited, may allow an attacker to break an application out of its sandbox leading to potential system compromise or data leakage. Its severity underscores the necessity for system administrators and users to apply the necessary security patches to mitigate this vulnerability.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2023-42977
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
iOS | 17
iPadOS | 17
macOS Sonoma | 14
How the Exploit Works
The CVE-2023-42977 vulnerability stems from a path handling issue in the affected operating systems. An attacker, having gained local access, can manipulate the path handling mechanism of an application within its sandbox. This manipulation can potentially allow the attacker to break the application out of its sandbox. Sandboxing is a security mechanism that isolates applications, preventing malicious or malfunctioning programs from damaging or snooping on the rest of the computer. Once the app is out of its sandbox, the attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code, leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Here’s an illustrative example of how the vulnerability might be exploited using a shell command:
$ app --path "../../../malicious_payload"In this example, the attacker manipulates the –path argument of the app, tricking the application into executing the malicious_payload located outside of the application’s standard sandboxed directory. This is a basic example of a directory traversal attack, a common technique used to break out of software sandboxes.
How to Mitigate
The primary mitigation for CVE-2023-42977 is to apply the vendor-supplied patch. Users of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma 14 are strongly encouraged to update their systems at the earliest. For those unable to apply the patch immediately, a temporary mitigation would be to use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to monitor for and block malicious activities related to this vulnerability.