CVE-2006-1441 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in CFNetwork in Apple Mac OS X 10.4.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted chunked transfer encoding.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/17/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-1441 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within Apple's CFNetwork framework, which is a core component of Mac OS X 10.4.6 operating system. This issue specifically affects the handling of chunked transfer encoding, a standard HTTP protocol mechanism used for transmitting data in segments. The vulnerability arises when the system processes malformed chunked transfer encoding data, leading to a situation where integer values exceed their maximum representable range, causing unexpected behavior in memory management and data processing operations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted HTTP responses that contain malformed chunked transfer encoding headers. When the CFNetwork framework attempts to parse these maliciously constructed headers, the integer overflow condition triggers memory corruption that can be leveraged by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-190, which specifically addresses integer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper input validation can lead to severe security consequences. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no local privileges and can be initiated remotely through web-based protocols.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of affected systems. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain complete control over a target machine, potentially leading to data theft, system compromise, or use as a pivot point for further attacks within a network environment. The vulnerability affects systems running Mac OS X 10.4.6, which was a widely deployed version at the time of discovery, making the potential attack surface substantial. Organizations using this version of the operating system faced significant risk as the vulnerability could be exploited through web browsers, email clients, or any application that relies on CFNetwork for HTTP communications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching and system updates from Apple, which would address the underlying integer overflow condition in the CFNetwork framework. System administrators should prioritize updating to patched versions of Mac OS X, as the vendor released security updates specifically addressing this issue. Network administrators may also implement additional protective measures such as web application firewalls or proxy servers that can filter malformed HTTP responses before they reach end-user systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in network protocols, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through web shells and T1190 for exploitation of remote services. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual HTTP traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability could be used in conjunction with other attack vectors to establish persistent access to compromised systems.