CVE-2023-42951: Browsing History Deletion Issue in iOS and iPadOS, Resolved with Enhanced Cache Handling

Apple has recently addressed a security vulnerability (CVE-2023-42951) related to the deletion of browsing history in iOS and iPadOS devices. This issue is fixed in iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1, and users are encouraged to update their devices to these versions to avoid any potential security risks. In this in-depth article, we will discuss the details of this vulnerability, its potential impact on the affected devices, and the solution applied to fix this problem.

Description of the Vulnerability

The vulnerability (CVE-2023-42951) involves an issue in the handling of cache files by iOS and iPadOS devices, which may result in users being unable to delete certain browsing history items. Cache files are temporary files that are created and used by web browsers to improve the performance and loading speed of web pages. However, if not properly managed, these files can expose sensitive user information and lead to potential security risks.

The issue is due to a weakness in the cache management system of iOS and iPadOS devices, which may cause some browsing history items to remain undeleted even after the user has attempted to clear their browser history. This may allow an attacker with access to the device to retrieve potentially sensitive browsing information, posing a risk to user privacy and security.

Exploit Details

Though there are no known exploits in the wild at the time of writing, it is crucial to understand the potential impact of this vulnerability. An attacker with physical access to the device or the ability to remotely control the device could potentially exploit this weakness to gather browsing history information and use it for malicious purposes, such as targeted phishing attacks or identity theft.

Furthermore, certain scenarios might allow an attacker to leverage this issue to bypass software restrictions and gain unauthorized access to restricted parts of a device, although this would require additional vulnerabilities.

Code Snippet

The following code snippet demonstrates a hypothetical exploit that attempts to access the undeleted browsing history items in an iOS or iPadOS device:

import os
import json

cachedir = "/path/to/cache/directory/"

def get_undeleted_history_items(cachedir):
    undeleted_items = []
    for root, _, files in os.walk(cachedir):
        for file in files:
            if file.endswith('.json'):
                with open(os.path.join(root, file), 'r') as f:
                    cache_entry = json.load(f)
                    if not cache_entry['is_deleted']:
                        undeleted_items.append(cache_entry['url'])
    return undeleted_items

undeleted_history_items = get_undeleted_history_items(cachedir)
print("Undeleted browsing history items:")
for item in undeleted_history_items:
    print(item)

Please note that this is a hypothetical example and is not intended to be used for malicious purposes.

Solution

Apple has addressed this issue in the iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 versions, which contain a fix involving improved cache handling mechanisms. Users should update their devices to the latest versions to ensure their security and privacy.

For more information about this vulnerability and its fix, please refer to the following resources

1. Apple Security Advisory: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212946
2. CVE-2023-42951: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2023-42951
3. National Vulnerability Database (NVD): https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-42951

Conclusion

The iOS and iPadOS browsing history deletion issue, CVE-2023-42951, demonstrates the importance of keeping your devices up-to-date and protected against known vulnerabilities. Apple has addressed this issue with improved cache handling in the iOS 17.1 and iPadOS 17.1 versions. Users should take immediate action to update their devices to these versions to secure their browsing information and maintain their privacy.

Timeline

Published on: 02/21/2024 07:15:51 UTC
Last modified on: 02/22/2024 19:07:27 UTC