CVE-2016-7628 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.12.2 is affected. The issue involves the "Assets" component, which allows local users to bypass intended permission restrictions and change a downloaded mobile asset via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7628 represents a significant security flaw within Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.12.2. This issue resides within the Assets component of the system, which is responsible for managing mobile assets downloaded to the device. The flaw enables local users to circumvent intended permission controls, creating a pathway for unauthorized modification of downloaded mobile assets. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it fundamentally undermines the security model designed to protect system integrity and user data.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the Assets component, allowing malicious local users to manipulate downloaded mobile assets without proper authorization. This weakness operates through unspecified vectors that likely involve improper validation of asset modification requests or inadequate verification of user permissions before allowing asset changes. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor mechanism within the system's asset management framework, where legitimate users can exploit implementation flaws to alter system resources that should remain protected. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems, and represents a classic example of privilege escalation through component-level security weaknesses.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7628 is substantial for macOS users running affected versions, as it provides a method for local attackers to modify system assets that could potentially contain sensitive data or system-critical components. Mobile assets in this context may include application resources, configuration files, or other downloadable content that the system manages. The ability to bypass permission restrictions means that an attacker with local access could modify these assets to inject malicious code, alter system behavior, or compromise the integrity of the downloaded content. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where local privilege escalation could lead to broader system compromise, as it allows attackers to manipulate system resources that are typically protected from unauthorized modification.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a critical concern for macOS environments, particularly in scenarios where local user access cannot be fully trusted. The remediation approach requires immediate deployment of macOS 10.12.2 or later updates, which contain the necessary patches to address the permission bypass issue in the Assets component. Organizations should also implement monitoring for unauthorized asset modifications and consider additional security controls such as file integrity monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and may be leveraged as part of broader attack chains where initial access is gained through other vectors before attempting to modify system assets. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive security testing across all system components, particularly those handling user-downloaded content, as even seemingly minor permission controls can create significant security risks when improperly implemented.