CVE-2015-5902 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The debugging feature in the kernel in Apple OS X before 10.11 mismanages state, which allows local users to cause a denial of service via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5902 represents a critical flaw in the kernel-level debugging functionality of Apple's operating system affecting versions prior to macOS 10.11. This issue stems from improper state management within the kernel's debugging mechanisms, creating a pathway for local attackers to exploit the system's inherent weaknesses. The vulnerability falls under the category of kernel-level privilege escalation and denial of service conditions, where the mismanagement of debugging state could potentially be leveraged to disrupt system operations or gain elevated privileges.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the kernel's handling of debugging state information during runtime operations. When debugging features are enabled, the kernel maintains specific internal states that track the debugging session parameters and execution context. The flaw occurs when these state variables are not properly synchronized or validated during debugging operations, leading to inconsistent kernel behavior. This mismanagement creates conditions where malformed debugging commands or improper state transitions can cause the kernel to enter an undefined state, ultimately resulting in system instability and potential denial of service conditions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to system availability and stability in environments where debugging features might be enabled or accessible to local users. The local nature of the exploit means that any user with access to the system could potentially trigger the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments or systems where privilege escalation is a concern. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple attack paths could lead to exploitation, increasing the overall risk surface and making comprehensive protection more challenging.
The impact of CVE-2015-5902 aligns with common attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and denial of service tactics. This vulnerability demonstrates how kernel-level flaws can be exploited to create persistent system instability, which could be leveraged by attackers to establish more persistent access or to disrupt critical services. The CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) classification for this issue would likely fall under CWE-248, which addresses the exposure of an exception to an attacker, or potentially CWE-362, which covers concurrent execution using shared resources with improper synchronization.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on updating to the patched version of macOS 10.11 or later, where Apple addressed the kernel debugging state management issues. System administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary debugging features on production systems, particularly in environments where the risk of local privilege escalation is a concern. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit potential exploitation vectors, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual kernel behavior or system instability patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper kernel state management and synchronization mechanisms, which are fundamental requirements for maintaining system integrity and preventing unauthorized access to critical system resources.