CVE-2011-3217 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
MediaKit in Apple Mac OS X through 10.6.8 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted disk image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/19/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3217 resides within Apple Mac OS X's MediaKit framework, specifically affecting versions through 10.6.8. This critical security flaw represents a memory corruption issue that can be exploited remotely through the manipulation of disk image files. The MediaKit component is responsible for handling various multimedia and disk image formats, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to gain unauthorized system access or disrupt normal operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the framework's handling of malformed disk image structures, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious disk images that trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of improper bounds checking during the parsing of disk image metadata and content structures. When a maliciously crafted disk image is processed by MediaKit, the framework fails to properly validate the size and structure of image components, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions. The flaw operates at the kernel level within the operating system's media handling subsystem, making it particularly dangerous as it can potentially be exploited by attackers without requiring local system access or user interaction beyond the mere opening of a malicious disk image.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-3217 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the memory corruption conditions can be systematically exploited to achieve remote code execution. Attackers can craft disk images that, when opened by any application utilizing MediaKit, will trigger the vulnerability and potentially allow for privilege escalation or complete system compromise. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter, and T1068, which addresses exploit for privilege escalation. The vulnerability affects a broad range of applications that utilize MediaKit for disk image processing, including but not limited to the Finder, Disk Utility, and various third-party applications that handle disk image formats. The potential for widespread exploitation exists due to the fundamental nature of disk image handling within the operating system and the prevalence of disk image formats in legitimate system operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-3217 primarily involve immediate system updates and patch management, as Apple released security updates addressing this vulnerability in subsequent Mac OS X versions. Organizations should implement strict disk image validation policies, particularly for externally sourced or untrusted disk images, and consider employing sandboxing techniques to limit the potential impact of exploitation. Network administrators should monitor for suspicious disk image file transfers and implement application whitelisting where possible. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust memory management practices in operating system components and highlights the need for comprehensive input validation across all system frameworks. Security professionals should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify attempts to exploit memory corruption vulnerabilities through malformed disk image files, as the attack vectors for such vulnerabilities often involve automated exploitation tools that can be detected through network traffic analysis and system monitoring.