CVE-2016-1764 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The Content Security Policy (CSP) implementation in Messages in Apple OS X before 10.11.4 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a javascript: URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1764 resides within the Content Security Policy implementation of Apple Messages application on macOS operating systems prior to version 10.11.4. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in the application's ability to enforce web content restrictions, specifically within the messaging context where users may encounter maliciously crafted javascript: URLs. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of URLs within the Messages application's processing pipeline, allowing remote attackers to exploit the system through crafted web content that bypasses intended security boundaries.
The technical nature of this vulnerability involves a failure in the Content Security Policy enforcement mechanism that should prevent execution of potentially harmful javascript: URLs within the Messages application context. When users receive or view messages containing malicious javascript: URLs, the flawed CSP implementation fails to properly block these potentially dangerous resources. This weakness creates an information disclosure vulnerability where attackers can potentially extract sensitive data from the victim's system through carefully crafted malicious content. The flaw operates at the application level within the Messages framework, where the security policies intended to protect users from cross-site scripting and information leakage attacks are inadequately enforced.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks within the targeted system environment. Attackers can leverage this weakness to gather sensitive information from users' messaging sessions, potentially including personal communications, contact details, and other confidential data stored within the Messages application context. The vulnerability affects users running Apple OS X versions earlier than 10.11.4, creating a significant security gap where users are exposed to remote exploitation without proper protection mechanisms. This issue particularly impacts enterprise environments where sensitive communications may be processed through the Messages application, and where the potential for data leakage represents a serious risk to organizational security posture.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which describes improper restriction of information exposure, and relates to the broader category of insecure data handling within web application contexts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving information gathering and credential access through application exploitation. The flaw demonstrates a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement within the Messages application, where the security boundaries intended to isolate potentially malicious content are insufficiently implemented. Organizations should implement immediate patch management procedures to address this vulnerability, as well as consider network-level monitoring for suspicious javascript: URL patterns within messaging traffic. The remediation process requires updating to Apple OS X 10.11.4 or later versions where the CSP implementation has been properly strengthened to prevent such information disclosure scenarios.
This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper Content Security Policy implementation in messaging applications and web-based communication tools. The flaw demonstrates how inadequate security controls at the application level can create persistent risks for users, particularly when dealing with potentially malicious content that may be encountered during routine messaging activities. The exploitation of this vulnerability requires minimal technical skill from attackers, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may encounter untrusted content through various communication channels. Security professionals should prioritize this vulnerability in their risk assessment frameworks, considering both the immediate exposure risk and the potential for escalation to more severe attacks through information gathering and reconnaissance activities.