CVE-2016-1719 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
The IOHIDFamily API in Apple iOS before 9.2.1, OS X before 10.11.3, and tvOS before 9.1.1 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-2016-1719 resides within the IOHIDFamily API component of Apple's operating systems, representing a critical privilege escalation and denial of service flaw affecting multiple platforms. This vulnerability specifically impacts iOS versions prior to 9.2.1, OS X versions prior to 10.11.3, and tvOS versions prior to 9.1.1, creating a widespread security concern across Apple's ecosystem. The IOHIDFamily API serves as a fundamental component responsible for handling human interface device communications including keyboards, mice, and other input peripherals, making it a critical system element that requires robust security controls.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves unspecified vectors that lead to memory corruption within the IOHIDFamily API implementation, which can be exploited by local attackers to achieve privilege escalation or cause system instability. Memory corruption vulnerabilities typically arise from improper input validation, buffer overflows, or use-after-free conditions within kernel-level code, and in this case, the flaw exists in the HID device handling subsystem. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-121 indicates it likely involves heap-based buffer overflow conditions or similar memory management issues that allow attackers to manipulate memory contents and potentially execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. Given the nature of HID family components, attackers could leverage this weakness to gain root access or cause system crashes through malformed device input handling.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-1719 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise through privilege escalation capabilities. Local attackers with minimal privileges could exploit this vulnerability to elevate their access level to system root, effectively bypassing all standard security controls and gaining complete control over affected devices. This represents a significant threat vector for attackers who might initially gain access through less privileged means such as web browsing or application execution, then leverage this kernel-level vulnerability to establish persistent system control. The memory corruption aspect also creates potential for system instability, where repeated exploitation could lead to crashes, data loss, or complete system unresponsiveness, affecting both user experience and operational availability.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve applying the official security patches released by Apple, which address the underlying memory corruption issues in the IOHIDFamily API implementation. System administrators should prioritize deployment of iOS 9.2.1, OS X 10.11.3, and tvOS 9.1.1 updates across all affected devices to eliminate the exploitability of this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions that detect anomalous HID device behavior or memory allocation patterns can provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and system binary modification tactics, making it particularly concerning for threat actors who seek persistent access. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and access control measures to limit local user privileges and reduce the attack surface available to potential exploiters. The vulnerability's nature as a kernel-level issue means that traditional endpoint protection solutions may not provide adequate defense, necessitating comprehensive patch management processes and system hardening practices that address the root cause rather than surface symptoms of the security weakness.