CVE-2016-4663 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.12.1 is affected. The issue involves the "NVIDIA Graphics Drivers" component. It allows attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4663 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the NVIDIA Graphics Drivers component of Apple's macOS operating system. This security issue specifically affects macOS versions prior to 10.12.1, creating a persistent risk for users who have not updated their systems. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the graphics driver software, which fails to properly validate input from applications attempting to utilize GPU resources. This flaw exists at the intersection of graphics processing and operating system security, where malicious applications can exploit the driver's inadequate memory handling mechanisms to trigger system instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the creation of a specially crafted application that deliberately manipulates memory structures within the NVIDIA graphics driver. When such an application is executed on an affected system, it can cause the graphics driver to corrupt memory regions, leading to system crashes, application failures, or complete system hangs. This memory corruption represents a classic example of a buffer overflow or memory management error that falls under the CWE-125 weakness category, specifically involving out-of-bounds memory access. The vulnerability operates at a low system level, leveraging the graphics processing unit's interaction with the operating system kernel, making it particularly dangerous as it can bypass traditional application sandboxing mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-4663 extends beyond simple system instability, as it provides attackers with a reliable method for conducting denial of service attacks against macOS systems. This vulnerability enables adversaries to disrupt normal computing operations without requiring elevated privileges, making it particularly attractive for malicious actors seeking to compromise user productivity or system availability. The attack vector is relatively straightforward, requiring only the distribution of a malicious application that can be executed by unsuspecting users. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK framework's technique T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks, and demonstrates how graphics driver flaws can be weaponized for system disruption. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple macOS versions indicates a fundamental flaw in the driver implementation that required a major system update to resolve.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability center exclusively on updating to macOS 10.12.1 or later versions, which contain patched NVIDIA graphics drivers that properly handle memory allocation and deallocation. System administrators should prioritize immediate deployment of the macOS 10.12.1 update across all affected systems, as the vulnerability presents no effective workaround beyond software patching. Organizations should also implement robust patch management policies that ensure timely deployment of security updates, particularly for graphics drivers that operate at such a critical system level. Additionally, users should be educated about the importance of keeping their operating systems current, as this vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly isolated driver components can create widespread system instability. The fix implemented by Apple addresses the root cause by strengthening memory validation procedures within the graphics driver, preventing malicious applications from exploiting the memory corruption vulnerability through proper bounds checking and memory management practices.