CVE-2016-7596 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.12.2 is affected. The issue involves the "Bluetooth" component. It 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 • 10/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7596 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.12.2. This weakness specifically targets the Bluetooth component of the system, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the underlying architecture. The issue stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the Bluetooth stack, which forms part of the broader kernel extension framework that governs low-level hardware interactions in macOS environments.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a crafted application that leverages memory corruption techniques to gain elevated privileges within the system. Attackers can potentially execute arbitrary code with root-level access, effectively bypassing standard security boundaries that normally protect the operating system from unauthorized modifications. This flaw operates at a privileged context level, meaning that successful exploitation could allow attackers to install malicious software, modify system files, or establish persistent backdoors without user interaction. The memory corruption aspect suggests that the vulnerability may manifest through buffer overflow conditions or improper memory deallocation patterns within the Bluetooth subsystem.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to macOS users and organizations relying on Apple's ecosystem. The ability to execute code in a privileged context undermines the fundamental security model of macOS, which depends on strict privilege separation between user applications and system processes. Organizations using affected macOS versions face potential data breaches, system compromise, and loss of sensitive information. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require user interaction, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered automatically when Bluetooth-enabled devices connect to compromised systems. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through scriptlets and T1068 for local privilege escalation, demonstrating how the flaw can be leveraged across multiple attack vectors.
The root cause of this vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. These classifications indicate that the Bluetooth implementation contains memory handling errors that allow attackers to write beyond allocated memory boundaries. The vulnerability also relates to CWE-20, which covers input validation issues, suggesting that the system fails to properly validate data received from Bluetooth devices or applications. Security researchers have documented that the flaw exists in the kernel-level Bluetooth drivers, making it particularly challenging to mitigate without system-level updates.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-7596 primarily focus on immediate system updates to macOS 10.12.2 or later versions, which contain patches addressing the memory corruption issues within the Bluetooth component. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management policies that prioritize critical security updates, particularly for operating systems running in enterprise environments. Additional protective measures include disabling Bluetooth when not in use, implementing strict application whitelisting policies, and monitoring for unusual Bluetooth connection patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network administrators should also consider deploying endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify suspicious privilege escalation activities or unauthorized code execution patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches, as it represents a classic example of how kernel-level flaws can be exploited to achieve complete system compromise without requiring user interaction.