CVE-2015-1137 in MacOS X
Summary
by MITRE
The NVIDIA graphics driver in Apple OS X before 10.10.3 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference) via an unspecified IOService userclient type.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1137 represents a critical security flaw within the NVIDIA graphics driver implementation on Apple macOS systems. This issue affects versions of OS X prior to 10.10.3 and stems from improper handling of IOService userclient types within the graphics driver subsystem. The vulnerability manifests as a NULL pointer dereference condition that can be exploited by local attackers to either escalate privileges or trigger a denial of service scenario. The root cause lies in the driver's insufficient validation of userclient type parameters, creating an exploitable path that bypasses normal security boundaries between user space and kernel space operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the NVIDIA graphics driver's interaction with the macOS kernel through IOService mechanisms. When a malicious user process attempts to manipulate the userclient type interface, the driver fails to properly validate input parameters before dereferencing pointers. This NULL pointer dereference occurs in the context of kernel memory management where the driver attempts to access memory locations that have not been properly initialized or allocated. The flaw falls under CWE-476 which specifically addresses NULL pointer dereference vulnerabilities in software implementations. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges or force the system to crash through controlled memory access violations.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-1137 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential privilege escalation capabilities that could allow attackers to gain root access to affected systems. Local users who can execute code on the target machine can exploit this vulnerability to elevate their privileges from standard user level to system administrator level, effectively compromising the entire operating environment. The denial of service aspect creates additional risk by allowing attackers to destabilize the graphics subsystem and potentially cause system-wide instability. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and T1499 which addresses "Endpoint Denial of Service" attacks. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that graphics drivers are frequently accessed by various system processes and user applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-1137 primarily focus on updating to the patched version of macOS 10.10.3 or later where Apple addressed the vulnerability through improved input validation and memory management within the graphics driver subsystem. System administrators should prioritize deployment of the official security patches released by Apple and verify that the NVIDIA graphics drivers are also updated to versions compatible with the patched macOS environment. Additional protective measures include implementing kernel extension filtering policies, monitoring for unusual graphics driver access patterns, and ensuring that only trusted applications have access to graphics hardware interfaces. Organizations should also consider disabling unnecessary graphics driver functionality and implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date system components and the risks associated with legacy driver implementations that may contain unpatched security flaws.