CVE-2014-4379 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
An unspecified IOHIDFamily function in Apple iOS before 8 and Apple TV before 7 lacks proper bounds checking to prevent reading of kernel pointers, which allows attackers to bypass the ASLR protection mechanism via a crafted application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4379 resides within the IOHIDFamily component of Apple's operating systems, specifically affecting iOS versions prior to 8 and Apple TV versions prior to 7. This issue represents a critical security flaw that undermines fundamental memory protection mechanisms within the kernel space. The IOHIDFamily serves as a crucial interface for handling human interface device communications including keyboards, mice, and other input peripherals, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to escalate privileges and bypass system security controls.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing bounds checking mechanism within an unspecified function within the IOHIDFamily kernel extension. This omission allows malicious applications to craft specially designed inputs that trigger unintended memory access patterns, specifically enabling the reading of kernel pointers that should remain protected from user-space applications. The vulnerability operates by exploiting the lack of proper input validation and memory boundary enforcement, allowing an attacker to read memory locations that contain critical system information including kernel base addresses and other protected memory regions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it directly enables attackers to bypass Address Space Layout Randomization, a critical security feature designed to randomize memory layout to prevent exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities. By reading kernel pointers, an attacker can determine the memory addresses of kernel functions and data structures, effectively breaking the ASLR protection mechanism that was intended to make exploitation of other vulnerabilities significantly more difficult. This information disclosure creates a foundation for more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation and potential full system compromise.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with information disclosure vulnerabilities in kernel space components. From an adversarial perspective, the attack vector follows patterns described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1068 for local privilege escalation and T1059 for execution through legitimate system interfaces. The vulnerability essentially provides attackers with a primitive that allows them to gather critical system information without requiring prior exploitation of other memory corruption vulnerabilities, making it particularly dangerous in the context of exploit development and system compromise.
The mitigation for CVE-2014-4379 requires immediate system updates to iOS 8 and Apple TV 7 or later versions where Apple has implemented proper bounds checking and memory validation within the IOHIDFamily component. System administrators and users should prioritize applying these updates as the vulnerability represents a fundamental flaw in kernel security that could enable complete system compromise. Additionally, organizations should conduct security assessments to verify that affected systems have been properly updated and monitor for any suspicious activity that might indicate exploitation attempts against this vulnerability.