CVE-2015-5830 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The Intel Graphics Driver component in Apple OS X before 10.11 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-5877.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5830 represents a critical security flaw within the Intel Graphics Driver component of Apple's macOS operating system. This issue affects versions prior to macOS 10.11, creating a significant attack surface for local adversaries who can exploit the vulnerability to either escalate their privileges or induce system-wide denial of service conditions through memory corruption. The flaw specifically resides within the graphics driver subsystem that manages Intel GPU operations and their integration with the broader operating system architecture.
Technical analysis reveals that the vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory operations within the graphics driver code, where unspecified vectors allow for memory corruption that can be leveraged by local attackers. The nature of the flaw suggests insufficient bounds checking or memory management controls when processing graphics-related data structures, potentially enabling attackers to manipulate memory locations that should remain protected. This type of vulnerability typically manifests through buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory safety issues that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-125 as an out-of-bounds read condition and may also relate to CWE-787 for out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are common patterns in graphics driver exploits.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5830 extends beyond simple privilege escalation capabilities, as local attackers can leverage this vulnerability to cause system instability or complete denial of service conditions. When exploited successfully, the memory corruption can lead to kernel crashes, system hangs, or even complete system reboots, disrupting normal user operations and potentially allowing for more sophisticated attacks. The local nature of the vulnerability means that attackers must already have a foothold on the system, but the privilege escalation aspect makes this particularly dangerous as it can transform limited user access into administrative control. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and T1499 which addresses 'Endpoint Denial of Service' through memory corruption attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5830 primarily focus on system updates and patch management, with Apple releasing macOS 10.11 and subsequent versions that address the underlying graphics driver flaws. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of the official security patches and ensure all systems are updated to versions that contain the necessary fixes. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict access controls to limit local user privileges, monitoring for unusual system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, and maintaining regular security assessments of graphics driver components. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive driver security testing and the need for robust memory safety controls in graphics subsystems, particularly given the privileged execution context in which these drivers operate within the kernel space.