CVE-2014-4417 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Safari in Apple OS X before 10.10 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (universal Push Notification outage) via a web site that triggers an uncaught SafariNotificationAgent exception by providing a crafted Push Notification.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-4417 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Apple's Safari web browser implementation on Mac OS X systems prior to version 10.10. This security issue specifically targets the SafariNotificationAgent component which handles push notification processing within the browser environment. The flaw arises from inadequate exception handling mechanisms that fail to properly manage malformed or malicious push notification payloads. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially designed web pages that, when loaded in Safari, trigger an uncaught exception within the SafariNotificationAgent process. This vulnerability operates at the intersection of web browser security and system-level notification handling, creating a pathway for remote attackers to disrupt the broader push notification infrastructure of the operating system.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2014-4417 leverages the browser's notification subsystem by presenting crafted push notification data that causes the SafariNotificationAgent to throw an unhandled exception. This exception propagates through the notification processing pipeline without proper error recovery mechanisms, leading to the termination of the notification service. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond individual browser sessions as it affects the universal push notification system, causing cascading failures across multiple applications and services that depend on the system's notification infrastructure. This represents a sophisticated attack vector that demonstrates how seemingly isolated browser components can have far-reaching consequences for system-wide functionality and user experience.
The operational impact of this vulnerability creates significant disruption for users and system administrators, as it can cause widespread notification failures across the operating system. When exploited, the vulnerability results in a complete outage of push notification services, affecting email clients, messaging applications, system updates, and other notification-dependent software. The remote nature of the attack means that users can be compromised simply by visiting malicious websites, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or targeted attacks against specific user groups. This type of attack aligns with the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and denial of service tactics, specifically targeting system-level services rather than user applications. The vulnerability also demonstrates weaknesses in the principle of least privilege and proper exception handling practices within system components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-4417 require immediate system updates to Mac OS X 10.10 or later versions where Apple has implemented proper exception handling for the SafariNotificationAgent component. System administrators should also consider implementing network-level controls to restrict access to potentially malicious websites and deploy web content filtering solutions that can identify and block known exploit patterns. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and the importance of keeping their operating systems updated. Organizations should review their incident response procedures to account for potential notification service outages and ensure backup communication channels remain available. This vulnerability underscores the importance of secure coding practices and proper error handling in system-level components, aligning with CWE categories related to exception handling and resource management. The flaw serves as a reminder that notification systems, while often overlooked in security assessments, represent critical infrastructure components that require robust defensive measures against both local and remote exploitation attempts.