CVE-2009-0011 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Certificate Assistant in Apple Mac OS X 10.5.6 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via unknown vectors related to an "insecure file operation" on a temporary file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-0011 resides within the Certificate Assistant component of Apple Mac OS X 10.5.6, representing a critical security flaw that enables local attackers to execute arbitrary file overwrites through unspecified vectors linked to insecure file operations on temporary files. This issue manifests as a privilege escalation vulnerability that operates at the system level, potentially allowing unauthorized users to manipulate critical system files and compromise the integrity of the operating environment. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-362, which specifically addresses race conditions that enable concurrent access to resources, and CWE-22, which covers improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal attacks. The insecure file operation vulnerability stems from improper handling of temporary file creation and management within the Certificate Assistant application.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through local user access to the system, leveraging the insecure temporary file handling mechanisms that allow attackers to manipulate file paths and overwrite existing files with malicious content. The attack vector operates by creating a race condition during the temporary file creation process where the attacker can predict or manipulate the temporary file location and subsequently overwrite files with elevated privileges. This behavior directly corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes the exploitation of local privilege escalation vulnerabilities, and T1548.001, which covers abuse of system permissions to escalate privileges. The Certificate Assistant application likely creates temporary files without proper validation of the file paths or without using secure temporary file creation methods that would prevent predictable file locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file overwrites to potentially compromise the entire system integrity and confidentiality. An attacker with local access can leverage this vulnerability to replace critical system binaries, configuration files, or certificates with malicious equivalents, thereby enabling persistent access or data exfiltration. The vulnerability affects the core security infrastructure of the operating system, as certificates play a fundamental role in authentication and secure communications. Attackers could use this privilege escalation to install backdoors, modify system configurations, or manipulate certificate stores to bypass security controls. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where Mac OS X systems may host sensitive data or serve as authentication servers, as the vulnerability could enable attackers to establish persistent footholds within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability's exploitation requires only local user access, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where users may have legitimate access to the system but could abuse this privilege to escalate their access level.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-0011 should focus on immediate system updates and implementation of security hardening measures. Apple released patches for Mac OS X 10.5.7 and subsequent versions that address the insecure temporary file handling in the Certificate Assistant component. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of these security updates and implement proper file system permissions to limit write access to system directories. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure temporary file handling practices, including the use of secure random naming conventions, proper file creation modes, and validation of file paths. System administrators should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized file modifications and establish baseline configurations that prevent predictable temporary file locations. The vulnerability highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of system components, particularly those handling sensitive operations like certificate management, and reinforces the principle that all system components must follow secure coding practices to prevent such privilege escalation vectors from being exploited in real-world scenarios.