CVE-2006-6353 in Mac OS X Server
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in BOMArchiveHelper in Mac OS X allow user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via unspecified vectors related to (1) certain KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE thread crashes and (2) certain KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS thread crashes, as discovered with the "iSec Partners FileP fuzzer".
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/29/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-6353 resides within the BOMArchiveHelper component of Mac OS X, representing a significant security weakness that enables remote attackers to induce application crashes through user-assisted exploitation techniques. This flaw specifically targets the kernel-level memory management subsystem where the BOMArchiveHelper processes archive files, creating a pathway for malicious actors to disrupt normal system operations. The vulnerability manifests through two distinct crash mechanisms that operate at the kernel level, demonstrating the severity of the underlying memory management issues within the operating system's core components.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through two primary crash vectors that leverage kernel protection failures and invalid memory address references. The first vector involves KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE thread crashes, which occur when the system encounters memory access violations that trigger kernel-level protection mechanisms designed to prevent unauthorized memory operations. The second vector utilizes KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS thread crashes, where the system attempts to access memory locations that are either unmapped or otherwise invalid within the kernel address space. These crash conditions are particularly dangerous because they operate at the kernel level, meaning that successful exploitation can lead to complete system instability and potential privilege escalation scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-6353 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as these kernel-level crashes can result in complete system crashes or reboots that disrupt user productivity and potentially expose the system to additional attack vectors. The vulnerability's discovery through the iSec Partners FileP fuzzer demonstrates that it can be systematically identified and exploited using automated testing tools, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where automated attacks are common. The user-assisted nature of the attack means that victims must perform some action to trigger the vulnerability, typically involving opening or processing a maliciously crafted archive file, but this requirement does not significantly reduce the overall risk as social engineering attacks can easily facilitate such user interactions.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which addresses weaknesses in memory management and buffer overflows that can lead to kernel-level crashes and system instability. The attack patterns associated with CVE-2006-6353 correspond to ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers the use of kernel modules and system-level components to execute malicious code or cause system disruption. The memory corruption aspects of this vulnerability also relate to CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations that can corrupt kernel memory structures. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including system updates, file validation procedures, and user education to prevent exploitation through malicious archive files.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the critical importance of kernel-level security in operating system design and the need for comprehensive memory management validation. System administrators should prioritize patching affected systems and implementing monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder that even seemingly specialized components like archive helpers can contain critical kernel-level flaws that can be leveraged for system-wide disruption. Effective mitigation strategies include deploying automated patch management systems, implementing application whitelisting policies, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components that may be susceptible to similar exploitation techniques.