CVE-2015-5875 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Notes in Apple OS X before 10.11 allows local users to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted text.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The CVE-2015-5875 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Notes application of Apple's macOS operating system, specifically affecting versions prior to 10.11. This vulnerability resides in the application's handling of user-provided text input, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code within the context of the Notes application. The flaw fundamentally stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly escape or filter potentially harmful content before rendering it within the application's interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows a local attacker to craft specially formatted text content that, when processed by the Notes application, gets executed in the browser context without proper security boundaries. This represents a classic XSS attack vector where the application itself becomes the conduit for malicious code execution, leveraging the trust relationship between the user and the Notes application. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application level rather than requiring network-based exploitation, making it accessible through local system compromise or social engineering attacks that trick users into opening maliciously crafted notes.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for macOS users who store sensitive information in Notes applications. Attackers could exploit this flaw to steal user credentials, session tokens, or other sensitive data that might be present in the user's browsing context. The vulnerability also enables more sophisticated attacks such as phishing attempts where malicious scripts could redirect users to fraudulent websites or harvest information from other applications running in the same browser context. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, particularly when malicious code executes within the browser environment.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal privileges since it operates locally within the Notes application context, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users have elevated system access or where the application is used to handle sensitive corporate or personal information. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation even within trusted application environments, as the Notes application's failure to sanitize user input creates an attack surface that can be leveraged for broader system compromise. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems and implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting, browser security policies, and user education regarding the dangers of opening untrusted note files. The vulnerability also highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of desktop applications, particularly those that handle user-generated content and interact with web-based interfaces, as the Notes application's integration with web technologies creates additional attack vectors beyond traditional desktop application boundaries.