CVE-2016-4679

An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.1 is affected. macOS before 10.12.1 is affected. tvOS before 10.0.1 is affected. watchOS before 3.1 is affected. The issue involves the libarchive component, which allows remote attackers to write to arbitrary files via a crafted archive containing a symlink.

Weakness

The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.

Affected Software

Potential Mitigations

• Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
• Denying access to a file can prevent an attacker from replacing that file with a link to a sensitive file. Ensure good compartmentalization in the system to provide protected areas that can be trusted.

Related Attack Patterns

• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/132.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/17.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/35.html
• https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/76.html

References

• http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/93849
• http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037086
• https://support.apple.com/HT207269
• https://support.apple.com/HT207270
• https://support.apple.com/HT207271
• https://support.apple.com/HT207275