CVE-2006-1446 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Keychain in Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.6 might allow an application to bypass a locked Keychain by first obtaining a reference to the Keychain when it is unlocked, then reusing that reference after the Keychain has been locked.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-1446 represents a significant security flaw in Apple Mac OS X keychain management system, specifically affecting versions 10.3.9 and 10.4.6. This issue stems from a fundamental design weakness in how the operating system handles keychain references and their persistence across lock and unlock states. The vulnerability allows malicious applications to maintain access to encrypted credentials even after the user has locked their keychain, creating a persistent security risk that undermines the core purpose of the keychain protection mechanism. The flaw exploits the fact that keychain references can be cached or stored in memory, enabling unauthorized access to sensitive information without proper authentication.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a race condition and reference persistence issue within the keychain subsystem. When a user unlocks their keychain, the system creates valid references to keychain objects that remain accessible even after the keychain enters a locked state. This occurs because the system does not properly invalidate or revoke references when the keychain is locked, allowing applications to reuse these cached references to access protected data. The vulnerability specifically affects the keychain access control mechanisms and demonstrates poor state management in the security subsystem. This behavior violates the fundamental principle of secure credential management where access should be revoked upon lock events. The flaw can be categorized under CWE-284 Access Control Bypass, as it allows unauthorized access to protected resources through improper access control enforcement.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it effectively neutralizes the keychain locking mechanism that users rely on for protecting sensitive information. Attackers can exploit this weakness to access passwords, certificates, and other cryptographic keys stored in the keychain without requiring the user's password or proper authentication. This creates a persistent backdoor that remains active even when the user believes their system is secure. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the system level and can be exploited by any application with sufficient privileges to access keychain references. It significantly weakens the overall security posture of Mac OS X systems and undermines user trust in the keychain protection system. The impact extends beyond individual user data to potentially compromise network access, system authentication, and encrypted communications that depend on keychain-stored credentials.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require both immediate system updates and operational security improvements. Apple addressed this issue through subsequent security updates that properly invalidate keychain references upon lock events and implement stricter access control enforcement. System administrators should ensure that all Mac OS X systems are updated to patched versions that resolve this vulnerability. Additionally, users should be educated about the importance of proper keychain management and the risks associated with leaving systems unlocked for extended periods. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual keychain access patterns and unauthorized reference reuse. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing proper access control mechanisms and state management in security-critical components. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as automatic screen locking, enhanced application sandboxing, and regular security audits to detect and prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities. This issue underscores the need for comprehensive security testing of authentication and access control systems, particularly those that manage sensitive cryptographic material.