CVE-2016-7761 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.12.2 is affected. The issue involves the "WiFi" component, which allows local users to obtain sensitive network-configuration information by leveraging global storage.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-7761 represents a significant security flaw in Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.12.2. This issue resides within the WiFi component of the system and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation details can create substantial privacy and security risks for users. The vulnerability specifically targets the way the system handles global storage mechanisms for network configuration data, creating an unintended information disclosure channel that local attackers can exploit to access sensitive wireless network parameters.
The technical flaw exploits a design weakness in how macOS manages global storage for WiFi network configuration information. Local users can leverage this vulnerability to access sensitive network-configuration data that should remain protected within the system's secure boundaries. This occurs because the WiFi component fails to properly isolate or secure network configuration parameters stored in global memory spaces, allowing unauthorized access to information that includes network identifiers, authentication credentials, and other potentially sensitive wireless network settings. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-200 category of "Information Exposure" and specifically relates to improper information protection mechanisms within the operating system's network management subsystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked network configuration data could enable attackers to perform more sophisticated attacks such as network sniffing, credential reuse attacks, or social engineering operations. An attacker with local access to an affected system could potentially reconstruct complete wireless network profiles including SSIDs, security protocols, and authentication parameters, which could then be used to gain unauthorized access to the same networks from other locations. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and violates the security model that should prevent local users from accessing system-critical network configuration information. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1046 (Network Service Scanning) as it enables attackers to discover and exploit network configuration data that would normally be protected.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate system updates to macOS 10.12.2 or later versions where Apple has implemented proper isolation mechanisms for global storage of network configuration data. System administrators should also consider implementing additional network segmentation and monitoring controls to detect unusual network access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management and secure coding practices in operating system development, particularly when dealing with sensitive configuration data that should remain protected from local user access. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments to identify similar information exposure vulnerabilities in their network infrastructure and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to address such issues promptly.