A critical vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-42843 has been identified in Apple's iOS, iPadOS, Safari, and macOS Sonoma. This blog post aims to present a comprehensive analysis of the vulnerability, including details about the exploit, code snippets, and original references.

The Issue

CVE-2023-42843 is essentially an inconsistent user interface (UI) issue in which the state management system is not working as intended. If malicious websites are visited, this vulnerability can result in address bar spoofing. In other words, the victim may think they are on a legitimate site, while they are actually on a spoof website designed for nefarious purposes.

macOS Sonoma 14.1

To protect your devices and personal information, it is crucial to update your software to the latest versions mentioned above.

Exploit Details

The exploit takes advantage of the fact that the UI system responsible for controlling the state of the internet browser allows for inconsistencies. The attacker can manipulate the transition of the legitimate web page to an iframe, thus replacing the legitimate content with their spoof content. The malicious website acts as a wrapper for the legitimate website, essentially creating a facade.

Below is a sample of a code snippet that demonstrates the vulnerability being exploited

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script>
    function triggerExploit() {
      document.getElementById('spoof_iframe').src = "https://legitimate-website.example/";;
      setTimeout(function() {
        document.getElementById('spoof_iframe').src = "https://malicious-website.example/spoof";;
      }, 100);
    }
  </script>
</head>
<body onload="triggerExploit()">
  <iframe id="spoof_iframe" src="about:blank"></iframe>
</body>
</html>

In this example, the iframe initially loads the legitimate website (legitimate-website.example). After a short delay (100ms), the iframe's source is changed to the malicious website (malicious-website.example). This results in an address bar spoofing vulnerability where the victim still sees the legitimate website in their address bar, while they are actually on the malicious website.

Original References

1. Apple's security update notice - Official information from Apple on the security update that addresses the vulnerability.
2. CVE-2023-42843 on the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures List - The CVE entry for this vulnerability, as maintained by the MITRE Corporation.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-42843 is a critical vulnerability that allows attackers to perform address bar spoofing, which could lead to serious consequences, such as users divulging sensitive information on malicious websites, thinking they are on legitimate sites.

To protect yourself from this vulnerability, update your iOS, iPadOS, Safari, and macOS Sonoma devices to the latest versions, as specified in Apple's security release notes.

In the future, it's important to regularly check for software updates and apply them as soon as possible to keep your devices secure against emerging threats.

Timeline

Published on: 02/21/2024 07:15:48 UTC
Last modified on: 11/04/2024 17:35:05 UTC