CVE-2016-1843 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
The Messages component in Apple OS X before 10.11.5 mishandles filename encoding, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1843 resides within Apple's Messages application component that shipped with operating systems prior to version 10.11.5. This issue specifically pertains to how the system handles filename encoding during message processing, creating a potential information disclosure scenario that remote attackers could exploit. The flaw manifests in the improper handling of encoded filenames within the messaging framework, which could lead to sensitive data exposure through unspecified attack vectors that leverage the encoding mishandling.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and more specifically relates to CWE-770, which addresses allocation of resources without limits or throttling. The Messages component fails to properly sanitize or validate filename encoding when processing incoming messages, allowing maliciously crafted filenames to be interpreted in ways that could reveal system information or file paths. This encoding flaw typically occurs when the system does not properly handle special characters, escape sequences, or encoding standards such as utf-8 or other character encodings that are commonly used in filename representations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates potential pathways for attackers to gather intelligence about the target system. Remote attackers could exploit this weakness to extract sensitive information about file systems, directory structures, or other system components through crafted message content. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple attack scenarios may be possible, potentially including cross-site scripting attempts, directory traversal exploitation, or other encoding-based attacks that leverage the flawed filename handling. This type of vulnerability can serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks and represents a significant concern for users who rely on the Messages application for communication.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate system updates to OS X version 10.11.5 or later, where Apple has implemented proper filename encoding validation and sanitization. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect unusual message processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should review message handling configurations and ensure proper input validation is in place for all file-related operations. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers may leverage such flaws to execute commands or extract information. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and encoding handling in messaging systems, which should be addressed through comprehensive security testing and adherence to secure coding practices that prevent similar issues in future implementations.