CVE-2016-4647 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Audio in Apple OS X before 10.11.6 allows local users to gain privileges or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4647 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.11.6. This issue resides in the audio processing subsystem and demonstrates how seemingly benign file handling can lead to severe system compromise. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes a specially crafted audio file, triggering memory corruption that can be exploited by local attackers to escalate privileges or induce system crashes. The flaw operates at a deep level within the operating system's audio handling mechanisms, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged to bypass standard security boundaries that typically protect system integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper memory management during audio file parsing operations. When macOS encounters a malformed audio file, the system's audio processing libraries fail to properly validate input data, leading to buffer overflows or memory corruption patterns that can be manipulated by attackers. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, which encompasses out-of-bounds read conditions that can result in memory corruption and privilege escalation. The attack vector requires local access to the system since the exploit targets the operating system's internal audio processing rather than network-based communication channels. This characteristic places the vulnerability in the ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation technique category, specifically targeting system-level access through local exploitation methods.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-4647 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Local attackers who can execute code on a target system gain the ability to elevate their privileges to root level, effectively granting them complete control over the affected machine. This privilege escalation capability makes the vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking persistent access to compromised systems. Additionally, the memory corruption aspect can lead to unpredictable system behavior including application crashes, system instability, and potential data loss. The vulnerability's presence in macOS versions prior to 10.11.6 means that organizations running these older operating systems face significant risk exposure, especially in environments where local user access is not properly restricted or monitored.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-4647 primarily focus on immediate system updates and access control measures. Apple's recommended solution involves upgrading to macOS 10.11.6 or later versions where the vulnerability has been patched through improved input validation and memory management in the audio processing components. System administrators should implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges and monitor for unauthorized file execution. Network segmentation and endpoint protection solutions can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts by monitoring for suspicious file handling activities. Organizations should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify systems running unsupported macOS versions and prioritize their remediation. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of keeping operating systems updated and implementing comprehensive security monitoring to detect and respond to local privilege escalation attempts that leverage memory corruption flaws.