CVE-2015-5750 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Data Detectors Engine in Apple OS X before 10.10.5 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted series of Unicode characters.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5750 resides within Apple's Data Detectors Engine component of macOS operating systems prior to version 10.10.5. This engine is responsible for automatically detecting and highlighting various types of data within text, including phone numbers, dates, addresses, and other structured information. The flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue that can be triggered through the careful crafting of Unicode character sequences, representing a critical security weakness in Apple's text processing infrastructure.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the Data Detectors Engine processes maliciously constructed Unicode input that leads to improper memory handling and buffer overflows. The engine's failure to properly validate and sanitize Unicode character sequences results in memory corruption that can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected application or system process. This represents a classic buffer overflow vulnerability that falls under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, though the specific implementation details involve heap corruption due to improper memory management in the Unicode processing routines.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5750 extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enable full system compromise. Attackers can craft malicious documents, emails, or web content that when processed by the Data Detectors Engine triggers the memory corruption, leading to arbitrary code execution or denial of service conditions. This vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited through various attack vectors including email attachments, web browsing, and document processing, making it a significant threat to macOS users. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation could lead to code execution within the system context.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates to macOS version 10.10.5 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the memory corruption issues in the Data Detectors Engine. Organizations should also implement network-based protections such as email filtering and web content scanning to prevent the delivery of malicious Unicode sequences. Additionally, security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability through endpoint detection and response systems, particularly looking for unusual memory access patterns or application crashes that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in text processing engines, as outlined in the CWE guidelines for secure coding practices.