CVE-2005-0973 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in the setsockopt system call in Mac OS X 10.3.9 and earlier allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory exhaustion) via crafted arguments.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0973 represents a critical flaw within the networking subsystem of Mac OS X versions 10.3.9 and earlier, specifically affecting the setsockopt system call implementation. This issue arises from inadequate input validation and memory management within the kernel-level networking functions that handle socket option configurations. The flaw manifests when local users submit specially crafted arguments to the setsockopt system call, which can trigger unexpected behavior leading to system resource exhaustion.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of argument validation within the kernel's socket option processing code. When the setsockopt system call receives malformed or excessively large parameters, the underlying memory allocation routines fail to properly constrain resource usage, resulting in uncontrolled memory consumption. This memory exhaustion occurs because the kernel does not adequately verify the size or content of the socket options being configured, allowing malicious inputs to trigger excessive memory allocation requests. The vulnerability is classified as a local privilege escalation vector since it requires user-level access but can cause system-wide impact through resource exhaustion.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to system availability and stability. Local attackers can exploit this flaw to consume system memory resources rapidly, potentially causing the system to become unresponsive or crash entirely. The memory exhaustion effect can be particularly devastating in server environments where system stability is critical, as it can render services unavailable and potentially compromise the integrity of running applications. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service, as memory exhaustion can lead to cascading failures affecting other system processes and services.
The flaw aligns with CWE-122, which describes improper restriction of operations within a memory buffer, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with memory corruption vulnerabilities that can be exploited for denial of service attacks. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network denial of service attacks, specifically targeting system resources through memory exhaustion. The attack requires minimal privileges and can be executed by any local user, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where privilege separation is not enforced.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate system updates and patch management, as Apple released security updates to address this specific flaw in subsequent versions of Mac OS X. System administrators should implement monitoring for unusual memory consumption patterns and consider implementing resource limits on socket operations. Additionally, disabling unnecessary socket options and restricting local user privileges can reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability highlights the importance of kernel-level input validation and proper resource management in operating system security, emphasizing the need for comprehensive testing of system call interfaces to prevent similar issues in future implementations.