CVE-2006-1440 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
BOM in Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.6 allows attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via an archive that contains symbolic links.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/17/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-1440 represents a critical file system security flaw affecting Apple Mac OS X versions 10.3.9 and 10.4.6. This issue stems from improper handling of symbolic links within archive extraction processes, creating a privilege escalation vector that allows malicious actors to overwrite arbitrary files on the system. The vulnerability specifically manifests when processing archives containing symbolic links that point to system-critical locations, enabling attackers to manipulate file permissions and content during the extraction process. This flaw directly impacts the integrity of the operating system's file structure and can potentially lead to complete system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the archive extraction utilities of Mac OS X, where symbolic links are processed without proper validation of the target paths. When an archive containing malicious symbolic links is extracted, the system follows these links and attempts to write data to the target locations, bypassing normal file system access controls. This behavior creates a race condition where attackers can manipulate the extraction process to overwrite files that would normally be protected or restricted. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-59 as improper handling of symbolic links, which falls under the broader category of path traversal attacks that have been consistently exploited across various operating systems and applications. The flaw exploits the fundamental trust placed in archive extraction utilities to properly resolve symbolic link targets without validating their legitimacy or security implications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to Mac OS X systems as it allows for arbitrary file overwrite operations that could be leveraged to install malicious software, modify system binaries, or disable security features. Attackers could use this vulnerability to overwrite critical system files such as authentication modules, system utilities, or security configurations, potentially leading to persistent access or complete system compromise. The impact extends beyond immediate privilege escalation to include potential data corruption and system instability, as the overwritten files could be essential components of the operating system's core functionality. This vulnerability particularly affects systems where users have the ability to process untrusted archives, which is common in enterprise environments where file sharing and collaboration are prevalent, making the attack surface significantly larger than initially apparent.
Effective mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-1440 require immediate system updates to patched versions of Mac OS X, as Apple released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement strict archive processing policies that prevent untrusted users from extracting archives with symbolic links, particularly in shared or public environments. System administrators should also monitor for unusual file modification patterns and implement file integrity checking mechanisms to detect unauthorized changes to critical system files. The mitigation approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through archive extraction and T1070.004 for file deletion or modification through symbolic link manipulation. Additional protective measures include disabling automatic archive extraction for untrusted sources, implementing sandboxing for archive processing utilities, and maintaining regular system backups to enable recovery from potential compromise. Network segmentation and access control measures should also be strengthened to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.