CVE-2003-0895 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the Mac OS X kernel 10.2.8 and earlier allows local users, and possibly remote attackers, to cause a denial of service (crash), access portions of memory, and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long command line argument (argv[]).
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0895 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Mac OS X kernel version 10.2.8 and earlier releases. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the kernel's argument processing functionality, specifically when handling command line arguments passed through the argv[] array. The flaw exists at the intersection of kernel space and user space interactions, where the system fails to properly bounds-check the length of command line arguments before processing them. This oversight creates a scenario where malicious input can overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially leading to system instability and unauthorized code execution.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient space is allocated for data, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions. The exploitability of this flaw extends beyond local privilege escalation to potentially include remote attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous in networked environments. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by crafting specially constructed command line arguments that exceed the allocated buffer space, causing the kernel to overwrite critical memory segments including return addresses, function pointers, and other control structures.
The operational impact of CVE-2003-0895 manifests in multiple ways that compromise system integrity and availability. Local users can trigger system crashes and denial of service conditions by simply executing programs with excessively long command line arguments, effectively rendering the system unstable and unresponsive. More critically, the vulnerability provides potential pathways for privilege escalation attacks, where attackers can access portions of kernel memory that should remain protected, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The memory access capabilities open doors for information disclosure attacks, where sensitive kernel data structures and credentials could be extracted by malicious actors.
From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1068, which covers exploit for privilege escalation, and T1499, which addresses network disruption through system resource exhaustion. The attack surface expands when considering that this flaw affects the core kernel functionality, making it particularly attractive for advanced persistent threat actors seeking long-term system access. Mitigation strategies should include immediate system updates to Mac OS X versions that address this buffer overflow, implementation of input validation controls at the application level, and deployment of kernel patch management solutions. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing runtime protection mechanisms such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization to reduce exploit reliability, though these measures provide only partial protection against kernel-level buffer overflows.