CVE-2014-4364 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The 802.1X subsystem in Apple iOS before 8 and Apple TV before 7 does not require strong authentication methods, which allows remote attackers to calculate credentials by offering LEAP authentication from a crafted Wi-Fi AP and then performing a cryptographic attack against the MS-CHAPv1 hash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-4364 represents a significant weakness in the 802.1X authentication implementation within Apple's mobile and television operating systems. This flaw exists in iOS versions prior to 8.0 and Apple TV versions prior to 7.0, where the wireless authentication subsystem fails to enforce robust authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the MS-CHAPv1 protocol implementation, which has known cryptographic weaknesses that make it susceptible to various attack vectors. The 802.1X protocol is designed to provide robust network access control by authenticating devices before granting network access, but this implementation flaw undermines that security model.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a man-in-the-middle attack scenario where a malicious actor creates a rogue Wi-Fi access point that offers LEAP (Lightweight Extensible Authentication Protocol) authentication. LEAP is a deprecated authentication method that uses the MS-CHAPv1 protocol internally, which has well-documented cryptographic vulnerabilities. When legitimate users attempt to connect to networks that require 802.1X authentication, they may unknowingly connect to the rogue access point that presents itself as a legitimate network. The system's failure to enforce strong authentication requirements allows the attacker to intercept the authentication process and subsequently perform cryptographic attacks against the MS-CHAPv1 hash. This attack leverages the inherent weaknesses in the MS-CHAPv1 algorithm, specifically its predictable hash generation patterns that can be exploited through offline dictionary attacks or rainbow table methods.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it can lead to full network compromise when attackers successfully calculate valid credentials. The weakness affects enterprise and personal networks that rely on 802.1X authentication for security, potentially allowing unauthorized access to internal resources, network monitoring, and data exfiltration. Attackers can use this vulnerability to establish persistent network access, conduct reconnaissance activities, and potentially move laterally within network environments. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where 802.1X is commonly used for network segmentation and access control, as successful exploitation can bypass critical security controls designed to protect sensitive corporate data. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses, and represents a failure in proper authentication protocol enforcement that violates security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-46 for network authentication.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates to patched versions of iOS and Apple TV operating systems, as the issue was resolved through proper implementation of authentication requirements and protocol enforcement. Organizations should implement network monitoring solutions to detect rogue access points and unauthorized network infrastructure, as well as ensure that network administrators disable deprecated authentication methods like LEAP and MS-CHAPv1 in favor of stronger alternatives such as EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, or PEAP with strong certificate validation. The remediation process should include comprehensive network audits to identify and remove any legacy authentication configurations that might still be present. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566 (Phishing for Information) and T1075 (Pass the Hash) techniques, as attackers can leverage this weakness to obtain credentials that can then be used for lateral movement within networks. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as wireless intrusion detection systems and mandatory authentication protocol enforcement at the network infrastructure level to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other systems.