CVE-2014-1595 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Firefox before 34.0, Firefox ESR 31.x before 31.3, and Thunderbird before 31.3 on Apple OS X 10.10 omit a CoreGraphics disable-logging action that is needed by jemalloc-based applications, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information by reading /tmp files, as demonstrated by credential information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/07/2022
This vulnerability affects Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird applications on Apple macOS 10.10 operating systems where the jemalloc memory allocator is utilized. The core issue stems from an incomplete implementation of security measures that should have been applied to disable CoreGraphics logging functionality. When jemalloc-based applications run on macOS, they require specific CoreGraphics disable-logging actions to prevent sensitive data leakage through temporary file creation. The absence of this critical security configuration creates a persistent information disclosure risk.
The technical flaw manifests in how the applications handle memory allocation and temporary file management during runtime operations. When Firefox or Thunderbird execute on macOS 10.10 systems, the jemalloc allocator creates temporary files in the /tmp directory to store memory management metadata and other internal application data. However, due to the missing CoreGraphics disable-logging action, these temporary files may contain sensitive information that should remain confidential. This occurs because the memory allocator's temporary storage mechanism inadvertently exposes credential data and other sensitive application information through the filesystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides local attackers with potential access to credential information and other sensitive data that could be leveraged for further exploitation. Attackers with local system access can monitor the /tmp directory and read the temporary files created by the jemalloc-based applications, potentially extracting authentication tokens, session information, or other confidential data that applications should have protected. This creates a vector for privilege escalation and lateral movement within compromised systems, particularly in environments where multiple applications utilize jemalloc.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and demonstrates how incomplete security configurations can create persistent information leakage channels. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1005 "Data from Local System" and potentially T1059 "Command and Scripting Interpreter" as attackers may use the discovered information to execute additional malicious activities. The issue particularly affects systems where applications rely on jemalloc for memory management, which is common in modern browser applications and email clients that require efficient memory handling for performance optimization. Organizations should implement immediate patching of affected versions and ensure proper CoreGraphics logging disablement configurations are applied to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other applications utilizing jemalloc-based memory allocators.