CVE-2007-5848 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in CUPS in Apple Mac OS X 10.4.11 allows local admin users to execute arbitrary code via a crafted URI to the CUPS service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/02/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-5848 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Common Unix Printing System CUPS component of Apple Mac OS X 10.4.11 operating system. This issue specifically affects the printing subsystem that handles Uniform Resource Identifiers used for printer communication and job management. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation within the CUPS service when processing malformed URI parameters, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by local administrative users to gain elevated privileges and execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
The technical nature of this flaw aligns with CWE-121, which categorizes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient boundary checking allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations. The vulnerability exists in the CUPS printing daemon implementation where it fails to properly validate the length and content of URI parameters passed to the service. When a local administrator crafts a specially formatted URI containing excessive data, the buffer allocated for processing this input exceeds its designated memory boundaries, potentially allowing memory corruption that can be manipulated to redirect program execution flow.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to Mac OS X systems as it requires only local administrative privileges to exploit, eliminating the need for network-based access or complex social engineering. The impact extends beyond simple code execution to potentially allow full system compromise, as local administrators already possess elevated permissions that can be leveraged to escalate privileges further. The vulnerability affects systems running Mac OS X 10.4.11 and potentially earlier versions of the Tiger operating system, making it relevant to organizations maintaining legacy systems that have not been updated.
The attack vector for this vulnerability operates through local administrative access points, typically requiring an attacker to first obtain administrative credentials or exploit another vulnerability to gain elevated privileges. Once administrative access is achieved, the attacker can construct a malicious URI that triggers the buffer overflow condition within the CUPS service. This attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes the use of privilege escalation techniques to gain system-level access. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation in system services and highlights how local administrative users can be leveraged to compromise system integrity.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Apple that address this specific buffer overflow condition, as well as implementing administrative access controls to limit the number of local administrative accounts on systems. Network segmentation and monitoring of printing services can help detect anomalous URI processing patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, system administrators should conduct regular security audits to ensure that legacy systems are properly maintained and updated to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities. The incident underscores the critical importance of maintaining current system patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against privilege escalation attacks targeting core system services.