CVE-2010-1847 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The kernel in Apple Mac OS X 10.6.x before 10.6.5 does not properly perform memory management associated with terminal devices, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (system crash) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-1847 represents a critical memory management flaw within the kernel of Apple Mac OS X 10.6.x operating systems prior to version 10.6.5. This issue specifically affects the handling of terminal devices within the kernel space, creating a potential avenue for malicious exploitation that could result in system instability and complete service disruption. The vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management procedures that fail to properly handle terminal device operations, leading to potential kernel crashes and system-wide denial of service conditions.
The technical nature of this flaw involves improper memory allocation and deallocation processes when managing terminal devices within the kernel environment. When local users interact with terminal devices, the kernel fails to maintain proper memory boundaries and resource management, creating opportunities for memory corruption or exhaustion conditions. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-129 category of Improper Validation of Array Index, as the kernel fails to properly validate memory access patterns when handling terminal device operations. The vulnerability manifests through unspecified vectors that likely involve manipulation of terminal device interfaces or concurrent access patterns that trigger memory management failures.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security concerns for Mac OS X 10.6.x systems as local users can exploit it to cause system crashes without requiring elevated privileges. The denial of service condition affects the entire operating system, potentially rendering devices unusable until manual restart occurs. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where system stability and uptime are critical requirements. The attack surface is relatively broad since terminal devices are commonly accessed through various system interfaces, making exploitation possible through multiple entry points including command line interfaces, serial connections, and other terminal-based services.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which focuses on Network Denial of Service, though in this case the attack vector operates at the kernel level rather than network protocols. The impact extends beyond simple system crashes to potentially compromise the integrity of the operating system's core memory management subsystem, creating cascading effects that could affect other system components. Organizations running affected versions of Mac OS X should prioritize immediate patching to address this vulnerability, as the lack of proper memory management in kernel space creates persistent risks for system stability and security.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate deployment of Apple's security update 2010-001 which addresses the memory management issues in terminal device handling. System administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual terminal device activity that might indicate attempted exploitation. The patch addresses the underlying kernel memory management flaws by implementing proper validation procedures for terminal device operations and ensuring correct memory allocation patterns. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing access controls to limit local user privileges where possible, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation of this kernel-level vulnerability that could otherwise be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks.