CVE-2007-0734 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
fsck, as used by the AirPort Disk feature of the AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11n before Firmware Update 7.1, and by Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 through 10.4.9, does not properly enforce password protection of a USB hard drive, which allows context-dependent attackers to list arbitrary directories or execute arbitrary code, resulting from memory corruption.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0734 represents a critical security flaw in the filesystem checking utility fsck that affects both Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station firmware and Mac OS X operating systems. This issue stems from improper enforcement of password protection mechanisms when accessing USB hard drives through the AirPort Disk feature, creating a significant security gap that allows attackers to bypass authentication controls and gain unauthorized access to protected storage resources.
The technical flaw manifests in the fsck utility's handling of memory structures during filesystem validation processes, specifically when processing password-protected USB drives. The vulnerability arises from inadequate input validation and memory management practices that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data during authentication checks. This memory corruption issue creates exploitable conditions where attackers can manipulate the filesystem checking process to bypass password protection mechanisms entirely. The flaw operates at a context-dependent level, meaning its exploitation requires specific conditions related to the target system's configuration and the presence of password-protected USB storage devices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential full system compromise and data exfiltration capabilities. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform directory traversal operations, execute arbitrary code on affected systems, and gain persistent access to networked storage resources. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Apple products including AirPort Extreme Base Stations running firmware versions prior to 7.1 and Mac OS X versions 10.3.9 through 10.4.9, creating a substantial attack surface across both consumer and enterprise network environments. This weakness particularly impacts organizations relying on AirPort Disk features for network storage solutions, as it undermines the fundamental security assumptions of password-protected storage access.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as aligning with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. The attack vector follows patterns consistent with the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques, specifically targeting system utilities and authentication mechanisms. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates for AirPort Extreme Base Stations, OS patching for affected Mac systems, and network segmentation to limit access to USB storage devices. Additional protective measures include disabling AirPort Disk functionality when not required, implementing strict access controls for USB devices, and monitoring for suspicious filesystem access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in system utilities and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of authentication mechanisms in networked storage solutions.