CVE-2007-4678 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
AppleRAID in Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4 through 10.4.10 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted striped disk image, which triggers a NULL pointer dereference when it is mounted.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-4678 affects AppleRAID implementation within Apple Mac OS X versions 10.3.9 and 10.4 through 10.4.10. This represents a critical security flaw that resides in the storage subsystem of the operating system, specifically within the AppleRAID framework responsible for managing redundant array of independent disks. The vulnerability manifests when a maliciously crafted striped disk image is mounted on a vulnerable system, leading to an unexpected system crash that effectively renders the affected machine unavailable to legitimate users. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of denial of service attacks that can be exploited without requiring elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where system availability is paramount.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from a NULL pointer dereference condition within the AppleRAID subsystem. When a crafted striped disk image is processed during the mounting operation, the system fails to properly validate or initialize certain pointer variables within the RAID management code. This NULL pointer dereference occurs during the disk image parsing phase, where the system attempts to access memory locations that have not been properly allocated or initialized. The flaw exists in the kernel-level code responsible for handling AppleRAID disk configurations, where insufficient input validation allows malformed disk image structures to trigger memory access violations. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-476 which describes NULL pointer dereference conditions that can lead to system instability and crashes. The specific nature of the flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where error handling mechanisms fail to account for malformed input data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes, potentially affecting enterprise environments where Mac systems serve as critical infrastructure components. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause complete system hang or kernel panic conditions that require manual intervention to restore normal operation. This type of denial of service attack can be particularly damaging in server environments where uptime is critical, as attackers can repeatedly trigger the vulnerability to maintain persistent system unavailability. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical expertise, as it only requires mounting a specially crafted disk image, making it accessible to attackers with basic knowledge of system administration. From an attack methodology perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which describes denial of service attacks targeting system resources, and represents a classic example of how storage subsystem vulnerabilities can be leveraged to compromise system availability.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate system updates and patches provided by Apple to address the underlying NULL pointer dereference issue. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability does not require authentication or elevated privileges to trigger. System administrators should implement monitoring procedures to detect unusual disk mounting activities that might indicate attempted exploitation, particularly when dealing with untrusted disk images or external storage devices. Additional defensive measures include implementing disk image validation protocols, restricting mounting of external storage devices, and establishing network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input validation and proper error handling in kernel-level code, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security testing of storage subsystems. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management systems to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all vulnerable systems. Given the nature of the flaw, regular security assessments of system components and proactive monitoring for similar vulnerabilities in other storage subsystems should be part of ongoing security operations to prevent similar issues from arising in the future.