CVE-2010-1844 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Image Capture in Apple Mac OS X 10.6.x before 10.6.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and system crash) via a crafted image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1844 represents a critical security flaw within Apple Mac OS X 10.6.x operating systems prior to version 10.6.5. This issue resides within the Image Capture component, which serves as a core system service responsible for handling image data processing and device communication. The vulnerability manifests as an unspecified weakness that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against affected systems. The flaw specifically enables adversaries to consume excessive memory resources and potentially trigger system crashes through the manipulation of crafted image files.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the Image Capture service. When the system processes a maliciously crafted image file, the service fails to properly handle the malformed data structure, leading to uncontrolled memory allocation and potential buffer overflow conditions. This improper handling of image data processing creates an exploitable condition where an attacker can send specially constructed image files to a target system, causing the Image Capture service to consume excessive memory resources until system stability is compromised. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level within the operating system's image processing framework, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect system-wide stability and availability.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-1844 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential system compromise and user productivity loss. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to systematically consume system memory resources, potentially leading to complete system crashes or forced reboots that disrupt normal business operations. Organizations running affected Mac OS X systems face significant risk of service interruption, especially in environments where image processing is frequently utilized or where systems are connected to untrusted networks. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers do not require physical access to the target system, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments and organizations with distributed computing infrastructures.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in software systems, and relates to the broader category of memory corruption vulnerabilities that can lead to denial of service and system instability. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1499.004 technique for network denial of service, where adversaries leverage system weaknesses to consume resources and render services unavailable. The attack vector specifically involves T1190 for exploitation of remote services, with the crafted image serving as the initial attack payload. Organizations should prioritize patch management and system updates to address this vulnerability, as Apple released version 10.6.5 specifically to remediate this issue. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring for unusual memory consumption patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts.