CVE-2016-1832 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
libc in Apple iOS before 9.3.2, OS X before 10.11.5, tvOS before 9.2.1, and watchOS before 2.2.1 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 • 11/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1832 resides within the standard C library implementation of Apple's operating systems, specifically affecting iOS versions prior to 9.3.2, macOS versions before 10.11.5, tvOS before 9.2.1, and watchOS before 2.2.1. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that impacts the fundamental system libraries responsible for core operating system functions and memory management operations. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests multiple potential pathways through which an attacker could exploit this memory corruption issue, making the vulnerability particularly concerning for security professionals who must consider various attack surface possibilities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a memory corruption flaw that occurs within the libc library functions, which are essential components for system-level operations including process management, file handling, and memory allocation. This type of vulnerability typically arises from improper bounds checking, buffer overflows, or use-after-free conditions within the library code that handles system calls from user-space applications. The memory corruption can manifest through various mechanisms such as heap corruption, stack smashing, or invalid memory access patterns that can be exploited by local users to either escalate privileges or cause system instability leading to denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-1832 extends beyond simple system crashes or application failures, as the vulnerability provides local attackers with the potential to escalate their privileges to system-level access. This privilege escalation capability represents a significant threat to system security, particularly in environments where multiple users share systems or where applications may be running with elevated privileges. The vulnerability's presence in the core system libraries means that exploitation could affect the entire operating system runtime environment, potentially allowing attackers to bypass security controls, modify system files, or gain access to sensitive data that would normally be protected by the system's security model. The denial of service aspect further compounds the threat by enabling attackers to destabilize systems and potentially create persistent access points through system reboots or recovery processes.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and may also relate to CWE-119, which covers weak buffer access protections. The attack surface for this vulnerability can be mapped to several ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through system service exploitation and defense evasion via process manipulation. Organizations should implement immediate patch management protocols to address this vulnerability across all affected Apple operating systems, as the window for exploitation remains open for systems running unsupported versions. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous system behavior that might indicate successful exploitation of this memory corruption flaw. The remediation process requires careful consideration of system compatibility and rollback procedures, particularly in enterprise environments where Apple device management and deployment strategies must account for the specific version requirements of this security patch.