CVE-2016-7620 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.12.2 is affected. The issue involves the "IOSurface" component. It allows local users to obtain sensitive kernel memory-layout information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7620 resides within Apple's macOS operating system, specifically affecting versions prior to 10.12.2. This security flaw is located within the IOSurface component, which serves as a core graphics subsystem responsible for managing surface memory operations in macOS environments. The IOSurface framework handles memory allocation and management for graphics operations, making it a critical component in the system's rendering pipeline and kernel memory handling processes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows local attackers to extract sensitive kernel memory layout information through unspecified vectors within the IOSurface implementation. This represents a information disclosure weakness that falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1082 for system information discovery. The flaw enables adversaries with local system access to gather detailed insights about kernel memory organization, which can serve as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks targeting system stability and security boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as memory layout information can significantly aid attackers in developing more effective exploitation techniques. When combined with other vulnerabilities or through advanced exploitation methods, this information disclosure can enable attackers to bypass kernel memory protection mechanisms such as kernel address space layout randomization kASLR. The vulnerability essentially provides attackers with crucial structural knowledge about the kernel's memory arrangement, potentially facilitating privilege escalation attacks or other advanced exploitation techniques that rely on precise memory addressing.
Organizations and users should prioritize updating to macOS 10.12.2 or later versions to remediate this vulnerability, as Apple addressed the issue through kernel memory protection enhancements and improved access controls within the IOSurface component. System administrators should also implement monitoring for unusual memory access patterns and consider deploying additional security controls such as kernel extension restrictions and memory protection policies. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date system components and highlights how seemingly minor information disclosure flaws can create significant security implications when combined with other attack vectors in the broader threat landscape.