CVE-2016-1804 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The Multi-Touch subsystem in Apple OS X before 10.11.5 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1804 resides within Apple's Multi-Touch subsystem, a critical component of the macOS operating system that handles touch input processing for multi-touch devices including trackpads and touchscreens. This subsystem operates with elevated privileges to ensure seamless interaction between hardware and software, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to escalate their privileges or compromise system integrity. The vulnerability affects macOS versions prior to 10.11.5, representing a significant security gap that could be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to system resources.
The technical flaw manifests as a memory corruption issue within the Multi-Touch subsystem's handling of specially crafted input data. When a malicious application attempts to interact with the touch input system, it can trigger improper memory management that leads to buffer overflows or heap corruption. This memory corruption occurs during the processing of touch events and can be exploited by attackers who craft specific input sequences that cause the subsystem to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking and input validation within the touch event processing pipeline, allowing attackers to manipulate memory structures that should remain protected from user-space applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, encompassing both privilege escalation and denial of service scenarios. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute arbitrary code within the privileged context of the Multi-Touch subsystem, effectively gaining root-level access to the affected system. This privilege escalation capability enables attackers to bypass standard security controls, install malicious software, modify system files, and potentially establish persistent backdoors. Additionally, the memory corruption can lead to system crashes or reboots, creating a denial of service condition that disrupts normal system operations and may be used as a vector for more sophisticated attacks.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes "Stack-based Buffer Overflow" and CWE-122, which addresses "Heap-based Buffer Overflow" as the underlying technical causes of the memory corruption. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1059.003 for command and scripting interpreter, T1068 for local privilege escalation, and T1489 for denial of service. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it requires no special privileges to initiate the exploit, making it accessible to any application running on the system. The exploit chain typically involves crafting a malicious application that triggers the Multi-Touch subsystem with malformed input data, leveraging the memory corruption to gain code execution privileges. Mitigation strategies should include immediate installation of macOS 10.11.5 or later updates, which contain patches addressing the memory handling issues in the Multi-Touch subsystem. System administrators should also implement application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized applications from accessing touch input functionality and monitor for unusual touch event processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.