CVE-2014-8823 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The IOUSBControllerUserClient::ReadRegister function in the IOUSB controller in IOUSBFamily in Apple OS X before 10.10.2 allows local users to read data from arbitrary kernel-memory locations by leveraging root access and providing a crafted first argument.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-8823 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Apple's operating system kernel components, specifically within the IOUSBFamily framework that manages USB controller operations. This issue affects Apple OS X versions prior to 10.10.2 and stems from a design flaw in the IOUSBControllerUserClient::ReadRegister function implementation. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level where it allows local users with root access to perform unauthorized memory reads from arbitrary kernel memory locations through manipulation of the function's first argument parameter.
The technical mechanism of this vulnerability involves the improper validation and handling of user-supplied input within the kernel space USB controller interface. When a crafted first argument is provided to the ReadRegister function, the system fails to properly sanitize or restrict memory access boundaries, enabling attackers to traverse kernel memory space beyond intended limits. This represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and memory access control that violates fundamental security principles of kernel space protection. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only local root access to exploit, making it accessible to attackers who have already compromised a system or gained administrative privileges through other means.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for systems running affected versions of Apple OS X, as it allows for information disclosure from critical kernel memory areas. Attackers could potentially extract sensitive kernel data including cryptographic keys, memory addresses, or other confidential information that could be used for further exploitation or system compromise. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it provides attackers with insights into kernel memory layout and structure, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks such as kernel code execution or bypassing security mechanisms. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of kernel isolation and can undermine the entire security model of the operating system.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including privilege escalation and defense evasion, as it leverages existing root access to gain deeper system information and potentially enable further attacks. From a CWE perspective, this vulnerability maps to CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, which specifically addresses situations where programs read memory locations beyond allocated boundaries. The issue also relates to CWE-20: Improper Input Validation, as the lack of proper argument validation allows malicious input to cause unintended behavior. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, though in this case the effect is read operations rather than write operations, highlighting the broader category of memory safety issues in kernel code. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Apple OS X 10.10.2 or later versions, applying the relevant security patches, and monitoring for potential exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as kernel extension restrictions and monitoring for unusual memory access patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts.