CVE-2010-1380 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in the cgtexttops CUPS filter in Printing in Apple Mac OS X 10.6 before 10.6.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via vectors related to page sizes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1380 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within the cgtexttops CUPS filter component of Apple Mac OS X 10.6 operating system versions prior to 10.6.4. This issue resides in the printing subsystem where the CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) filter processes print jobs destined for PostScript printers. The vulnerability specifically manifests when processing page size parameters within print requests, creating a condition where integer arithmetic operations exceed their maximum representable values.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted print job parameters that trigger integer overflow conditions during page size calculations. When the cgtexttops filter processes malformed page size values, the integer overflow can result in memory corruption that allows attackers to manipulate program execution flow. This flaw falls under the CWE-190 category of Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which represents a well-documented class of vulnerabilities where arithmetic operations produce results that exceed the maximum value representable by the data type. The vulnerability can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the printing service or cause application crashes that result in denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to include potential remote code execution capabilities that could compromise the entire system. Attackers can craft malicious print jobs that, when processed by the affected CUPS filter, trigger the integer overflow condition and potentially allow for privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution. This represents a significant threat to macOS environments where printing services are enabled and accessible to untrusted users. The vulnerability affects systems running Mac OS X 10.6 versions before 10.6.4, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where legacy systems may still be operational. The attack surface includes any network-accessible print services or shared printing environments where users can submit print jobs.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-1380 primarily focus on applying the official security patches released by Apple as part of the Mac OS X 10.6.4 update. System administrators should prioritize deployment of this patch across all affected systems, particularly those with network-accessible printing services. Additional protective measures include implementing strict print job validation policies, disabling unnecessary print services, and employing network segmentation to limit access to printing infrastructure. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and code execution through software exploitation, specifically targeting the system's print processing capabilities. Organizations should also consider monitoring print job submission patterns for anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular patch management and proper input validation in print processing systems, as similar issues have been documented in other print stack components across various operating systems.