CVE-2016-7613 in watchOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.1 is affected. macOS before 10.12.1 is affected. tvOS before 10.0.1 is affected. watchOS before 3.1 is affected. The issue involves the "Kernel" component. It allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context via a crafted app that leverages object-lifetime mishandling during process spawning.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7613 represents a critical kernel-level flaw affecting multiple Apple operating systems including iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. This vulnerability resides within the kernel component of Apple's operating systems, making it particularly dangerous as it operates at the most privileged level of the system architecture. The flaw stems from improper object-lifetime management during process spawning operations, creating a condition where malicious applications can exploit the kernel's memory management mechanisms to gain unauthorized privileges.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting a malicious application that specifically targets the kernel's handling of object lifetimes when new processes are created. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-415: Double Free, which occurs when a program frees the same memory location twice, potentially leading to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The object-lifetime mishandling during process spawning creates a scenario where memory objects may be improperly managed, allowing attackers to manipulate kernel memory structures through carefully constructed application code. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.003: Command and Scripting Interpreter - PowerShell, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code within the privileged kernel context.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7613 is severe as it allows attackers to escalate privileges from standard application context to kernel-level execution without requiring user interaction or physical access to the device. This privilege escalation capability means that a malicious application could potentially gain full system control, access all user data, modify system files, and establish persistent backdoors. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to the specified updates, creating a wide attack surface across Apple's ecosystem including mobile devices, desktop computers, and media devices. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to compromise user privacy, steal sensitive information, and potentially deploy additional malware payloads that would be extremely difficult to detect or remove.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate installation of the respective security updates provided by Apple. Users should ensure their iOS devices are updated to iOS 10.1 or later, macOS users should upgrade to macOS 10.12.1 or later, tvOS users should update to tvOS 10.0.1 or later, and watchOS users should upgrade to watchOS 3.1 or later. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management policies to ensure all affected devices receive updates promptly. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application whitelisting policies and monitoring for suspicious process spawning activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management in kernel code and highlights the need for thorough security testing of system-level components, particularly those involved in process management and memory allocation operations.