CVE-2015-3786 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The Bluetooth subsystem in Apple OS X before 10.10.5 does not properly restrict Notification Center Service access, which allows attackers to read Notification Center notifications of certain paired devices via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-3786 resides within the Bluetooth subsystem of Apple's macOS operating system, specifically affecting versions prior to 10.10.5. This security flaw represents a significant privacy and data exposure risk that stems from improper access control mechanisms within the Notification Center Service. The issue manifests when Bluetooth devices are paired with macOS systems, creating a potential attack vector that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized access to sensitive notifications from connected devices.
The technical flaw involves inadequate permission controls that govern access to the Notification Center Service within the Bluetooth framework. When devices are paired through Bluetooth, the system should enforce strict access restrictions to prevent unauthorized applications from accessing notification data. However, this vulnerability allows malicious applications to bypass these security controls and retrieve notifications from paired Bluetooth devices. The flaw essentially creates a privilege escalation path where untrusted applications can obtain information that should remain restricted to system components and legitimate user interactions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privacy concerns to encompass potential data leakage and information disclosure risks. Attackers could potentially access sensitive information contained in notifications such as messages, emails, calendar events, or other personal communications from paired devices. This exposure becomes particularly concerning when considering that many users maintain Bluetooth connections with smartphones, smartwatches, and other personal devices that contain highly sensitive personal and professional data. The vulnerability essentially undermines the fundamental security model of macOS notification services, creating an attack surface that adversaries can leverage for reconnaissance and information gathering activities.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and demonstrates how insufficient privilege checks can lead to unauthorized information disclosure. From an adversary perspective, this flaw maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation and credential access, as attackers can leverage the compromised notification service to gather intelligence about user activities and potentially identify additional attack vectors. The vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and access control enforcement within system services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3786 primarily involve updating to macOS 10.10.5 or later versions where Apple has implemented proper access restrictions for Notification Center Service. System administrators should prioritize patch deployment across all affected systems to prevent exploitation. Additionally, users should consider disabling Bluetooth when not actively in use and regularly review paired device connections to minimize potential attack surfaces. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious application behavior attempting to access notification services, and organizations should implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of exploitation. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current system patches and proper access control implementations within operating system frameworks.