CVE-2015-7108 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The Bluetooth HCI interface in Apple OS X before 10.11.2 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7108 represents a critical security flaw within the Bluetooth Host Controller Interface implementation in Apple's macOS operating system. This issue affects versions prior to macOS 10.11.2 and resides in the core Bluetooth subsystem that manages communication between the operating system and Bluetooth hardware controllers. The vulnerability specifically targets the HCI layer which serves as the fundamental interface for Bluetooth device interactions, making it a prime target for exploitation due to its central role in wireless connectivity operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of Bluetooth HCI commands and data structures within the kernel space of macOS. Attackers can leverage unspecified vectors to manipulate the Bluetooth subsystem in ways that either escalate privileges to root level access or cause memory corruption that results in system crashes and denial of service conditions. The flaw likely involves buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or improper input validation when processing malformed Bluetooth HCI packets or commands. These issues occur at the kernel level where the Bluetooth driver executes with elevated privileges, making successful exploitation particularly dangerous as it could allow attackers to bypass normal security boundaries and gain complete system control.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7108 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential system instability and unauthorized access to sensitive data. Local attackers who can execute code on a target system can exploit this vulnerability to gain root privileges without requiring physical access or complex attack vectors. The memory corruption aspects of this flaw could enable attackers to cause system crashes at will, creating persistent denial of service conditions that would disrupt legitimate user activities. Additionally, the vulnerability's presence in the core Bluetooth subsystem means that exploitation could occur even when Bluetooth is not actively in use, potentially allowing for stealthy attacks that remain undetected by traditional security monitoring systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates to macOS 10.11.2 or later versions where Apple has implemented proper input validation and memory management controls for the Bluetooth HCI interface. System administrators should prioritize patch deployment across all affected macOS systems, particularly in enterprise environments where Bluetooth connectivity is prevalent. Network security teams should monitor for unusual Bluetooth activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while also implementing proper access controls to limit local user privileges where possible. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read conditions, and potentially CWE-787, concerning out-of-bounds write operations, both of which are common in kernel-level Bluetooth protocol implementations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and denial of service operations, representing a significant threat to macOS system integrity and user security.