CVE-2016-7625 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.12.2 is affected. The issue involves the "IOKit" 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-2016-7625 represents a significant information disclosure weakness within Apple's macOS operating system ecosystem. This flaw exists within the IOKit framework, which serves as the foundational kernel component responsible for device driver management and hardware abstraction in Apple's operating systems. The affected version range encompasses macOS versions prior to 10.12.2, indicating that users running these older releases were exposed to potential security risks. IOKit functions as a critical interface between user-space applications and kernel-space hardware drivers, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to understand system internals and identify potential exploitation pathways.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows local attackers to extract sensitive kernel memory layout information through unspecified vectors that leverage the IOKit component's design characteristics. This information disclosure represents a privilege escalation risk where an attacker with local system access can gather detailed insights about kernel memory structures, virtual address spaces, and memory organization patterns. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability may manifest through multiple attack surfaces within the IOKit framework, potentially involving improper memory management, inadequate access controls, or insufficient input validation in kernel-level interfaces. Such memory layout information can serve as crucial intelligence for advanced exploitation techniques, including bypassing kernel address space layout randomization defenses and crafting more sophisticated kernel exploits.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance data that can be leveraged for subsequent attacks. Understanding kernel memory layouts enables attackers to develop more effective exploitation strategies, particularly when combined with other vulnerabilities or during advanced persistent threat campaigns. The local nature of the attack means that any user with legitimate system access could potentially exploit this weakness, making it particularly concerning for environments where multiple users share systems or where privilege escalation attacks are a primary concern. This vulnerability essentially undermines the security of the kernel's memory management and protection mechanisms, potentially exposing the system to more severe attacks that require detailed knowledge of kernel internals.
Organizations and individuals should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to macOS 10.12.2 or later versions that contain the necessary security patches addressing this IOKit vulnerability. System administrators should conduct comprehensive inventory checks to identify all affected systems and implement mandatory update policies to ensure complete coverage. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which specifically addresses "Information Exposure" in software systems, and represents a classic example of how kernel-level information disclosure vulnerabilities can compromise overall system security posture. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving system information discovery and privilege escalation, where adversaries seek to understand system internals before launching more sophisticated attacks. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual kernel memory access patterns and unauthorized system information gathering activities that may indicate exploitation attempts.