CVE-2007-4699 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The default configuration of Safari in Apple Mac OS X 10.4 through 10.4.10 adds a private key to the keychain with permissions that allow other applications to access the key without warning the user, which might allow other applications to bypass intended access restrictions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2019
This vulnerability resides in the default configuration of Apple Safari browser on Mac OS X versions 10.4 through 10.4.10 where the browser automatically imports private keys into the system keychain without proper user consent or notification. The technical flaw stems from insufficient access control mechanisms that permit unauthorized applications to retrieve these cryptographic keys from the keychain storage. This represents a critical security weakness classified under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software applications. The vulnerability allows malicious applications to bypass intended access restrictions by leveraging the improperly configured keychain permissions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it creates a persistent security risk where any application with sufficient privileges can access the private key without user awareness or consent. This weakness fundamentally undermines the principle of least privilege and user consent in cryptographic operations. The attack surface expands considerably since any application that can interact with the keychain can potentially extract the private key and use it for unauthorized authentication or encryption operations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1552.001, which covers credentials from password stores, and T1074.001, which involves data staged for collection through the use of keychain access.
The root cause of this issue lies in the improper implementation of keychain access controls during the default Safari configuration process. When Safari imports private keys into the system keychain, it sets permissions that are overly permissive, allowing any application with keychain access privileges to retrieve the key without explicit user notification or consent. This configuration violates security best practices established in industry standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO/IEC 27001, which emphasize the importance of proper access control and user consent for cryptographic key management. The vulnerability creates a persistent backdoor that remains active until manually corrected by users or system administrators.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate configuration changes to tighten keychain permissions for imported private keys. Users and administrators should manually review and restrict keychain access permissions for any imported certificates or private keys. The recommended approach involves modifying the keychain access controls to require explicit user consent for key usage and implementing stricter access control lists that limit which applications can access specific keychain items. System administrators should consider implementing automated monitoring tools to detect unauthorized keychain access attempts and establish regular audits of keychain configurations. Additionally, upgrading to newer versions of Mac OS X that address this vulnerability through proper default configurations should be prioritized as a long-term solution.