CVE-2014-8836 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The Bluetooth driver in Apple OS X before 10.10.2 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of service (arbitrary-size bzero of kernel memory) via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8836 represents a critical security flaw in Apple's operating system that affects versions prior to 10.10.2. This issue resides within the Bluetooth driver component of the kernel, specifically exposing a dangerous condition that allows malicious applications to gain elevated privileges or disrupt system operations. The flaw manifests when a crafted application attempts to invoke the bzero function with an arbitrary size parameter, leading to potential kernel memory corruption. This vulnerability exemplifies a classic kernel-level buffer overflow condition that can be exploited to execute unauthorized code with system-level privileges, fundamentally compromising the security model of the operating system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the Bluetooth driver's memory management functions. When a malicious application attempts to perform a bzero operation with an oversized parameter, the kernel's memory management subsystem fails to properly validate the size argument, resulting in a buffer overflow condition that can be leveraged by attackers to overwrite critical kernel memory structures. This flaw aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows unprivileged users to execute code with kernel-level privileges. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level, meaning that successful exploitation bypasses standard user-space security controls and can result in complete system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-8836 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with the highest system privileges, potentially leading to persistent backdoor installation, data exfiltration, or complete system takeover. The arbitrary-size bzero operation creates a condition where kernel memory can be overwritten without proper bounds checking, allowing for sophisticated attack vectors that could include direct memory manipulation, privilege escalation, or even the installation of rootkits. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of systems running affected versions of OS X, as it allows attackers to bypass the kernel's security mechanisms that normally protect against such unauthorized access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-8836 primarily focus on immediate system updates and security hardening measures. Apple addressed this vulnerability through the release of OS X 10.10.2, which includes patches to the Bluetooth driver that properly validate memory operation parameters and prevent the exploitation of the bzero overflow condition. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of the security update to protect against exploitation attempts. Additional defensive measures include implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent installation of untrusted applications, monitoring for suspicious Bluetooth-related activities, and ensuring that Bluetooth functionality is disabled when not actively required. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and can be classified under the T1068 - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation tactic, with potential use of T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter for executing malicious payloads once the initial exploit succeeds.