CVE-2016-7622 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.12.2 is affected. The issue involves the "Grapher" component. It allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted .gcx file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7622 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.12.2. This issue specifically targets the Grapher application, which is a built-in utility designed to visualize mathematical functions and data sets through graphical representations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the Grapher component's handling of specially crafted .gcx files, which are the native file format used by the application for storing graph data and configurations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability falls under the category of memory corruption, specifically manifesting as heap-based buffer overflow conditions that occur when the Grapher application processes malformed .gcx files. When an attacker crafts a malicious file containing malformed data structures or oversized parameters, the application fails to properly validate the input before processing it, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code or cause application crashes. This type of vulnerability is classified as CWE-121, which represents stack-based buffer overflow conditions, though the specific manifestation in this case involves heap corruption due to improper memory allocation handling during file parsing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable full system compromise when exploited by remote attackers. An attacker could deliver a malicious .gcx file through various vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites, requiring only that a user open the file with the Grapher application. The memory corruption effects can result in unpredictable application behavior, system crashes, and more critically, provide attackers with opportunities to inject and execute malicious code within the application's memory space. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers command and scripting interpreter usage, as successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the affected application.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates to macOS version 10.12.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the memory handling flaws in the Grapher application. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive updates promptly, as the vulnerability exists in the default application configuration without requiring any special user interaction beyond opening the malicious file. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing file type restrictions and application whitelisting policies to prevent automatic execution of .gcx files from untrusted sources, while network security controls should monitor for suspicious file downloads or attachments that could contain malicious Grapher files. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in application development, as highlighted by industry standards that emphasize the need for robust error handling and validation routines to prevent such memory corruption exploits.