CVE-2007-4682 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
CoreText in Apple Mac OS X 10.4 through 10.4.10 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted text content that triggers an access of an uninitialized object pointer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4682 resides within Apple Mac OS X versions 10.4 through 10.4.10, specifically affecting the CoreText framework which is responsible for text rendering and processing within the operating system. This flaw represents a critical security issue that demonstrates how seemingly benign text processing operations can be exploited to compromise system integrity. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of text content during the CoreText processing pipeline, where crafted input can trigger memory management errors that lead to system instability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves an uninitialized object pointer access that occurs when CoreText processes specially crafted text content. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-476 category of NULL Pointer Dereference, where the application attempts to access memory through a pointer that has not been properly initialized. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through normal text processing operations, making it difficult to prevent through simple user behavior changes. When the malicious text content is processed, the uninitialized pointer leads to memory corruption that can manifest as application crashes or more severe system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to potentially enable remote code execution, making it a serious concern for system administrators and security professionals. Attackers can craft text content that, when processed by applications relying on CoreText, will cause the system to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. This capability allows for privilege escalation and system compromise, particularly when the vulnerable applications run with elevated privileges or when the system is used in networked environments where text content can be injected through various channels. The vulnerability affects a broad range of applications that utilize CoreText for text rendering, including web browsers, office applications, and system utilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected systems through Apple's security updates, as the flaw exists at the operating system level and cannot be resolved through application-level fixes alone. System administrators should prioritize deployment of the relevant security patches and monitor for any signs of exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input validation and memory management practices in system frameworks, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script injection. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, while also monitoring for unusual application crashes or system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the vulnerable operating system versions within the organization's infrastructure.