CVE-2007-0735 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in Libinfo in Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 through 10.4.9 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors involving crafted web pages that trigger certain error conditions that are not properly reported in certain circumstances, resulting in accessing deallocated memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2019
The CVE-2007-0735 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within Apple Mac OS X's libinfo library component, affecting versions 10.3.9 through 10.4.9. This vulnerability resides in the fundamental memory management mechanisms that govern how applications handle dynamic memory allocation and deallocation. The libinfo library serves as a core system component responsible for information retrieval and management functions across the operating system, making this flaw particularly dangerous as it could potentially compromise the stability and security of the entire system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices where the system attempts to access memory that has already been freed or deallocated. When crafted web pages trigger specific error conditions within the libinfo library, the system fails to properly report these error states, leading to scenarios where memory addresses become accessible even after their intended use has concluded. This memory corruption occurs during web page processing when the library encounters malformed or malicious input that causes it to enter an inconsistent state. The vulnerability operates through the exploitation of race conditions and improper error handling mechanisms that should have prevented access to freed memory blocks, creating a pathway for unauthorized memory operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests in two primary threat vectors that align with the attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and code execution techniques. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw to cause application crashes and system instability, resulting in denial of service conditions that disrupt normal system operations. More critically, the vulnerability's potential for arbitrary code execution places it within the scope of sophisticated attack methodologies that could allow adversaries to gain unauthorized access to system resources. The use-after-free condition creates a memory corruption vulnerability that could be exploited to manipulate program execution flow, potentially enabling attackers to execute malicious payloads with elevated privileges. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in memory management.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates and patches from Apple to address the underlying memory management flaws within the libinfo library. Organizations should implement comprehensive network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts through crafted web content and establish robust application sandboxing mechanisms to limit the impact of successful attacks. System administrators should also consider implementing web content filtering solutions that can identify and block potentially malicious web pages before they can trigger the vulnerability. The remediation process must include thorough testing of system updates to ensure compatibility while addressing the memory management inconsistencies that enabled the exploit. Additionally, security teams should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify any applications or services that might be directly or indirectly dependent on the affected libinfo library components, ensuring comprehensive protection across the entire system infrastructure.