CVE-2017-13808 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13.1 is affected. The issue involves the "Remote Management" component. It allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13808 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.13.1. This issue specifically targets the Remote Management component, which is designed to enable administrative control of macOS systems from remote locations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory handling within this privileged system component, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's administrative capabilities. The flaw exists in the way the Remote Management service processes incoming data from applications, particularly when handling specially crafted payloads that trigger memory corruption conditions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. Attackers can leverage this weakness by constructing a malicious application that, when executed on an affected system, triggers the vulnerable code path within the Remote Management service. The exploitation process typically involves crafting a specially designed application that exploits memory corruption issues in the privileged execution context, potentially allowing for arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges. This represents a significant escalation of privilege vulnerability where an attacker could gain system-level access without requiring user interaction beyond installing the malicious application.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe threat to macOS environments, particularly in enterprise settings where remote management capabilities are commonly utilized. The ability to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context means that attackers could potentially install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, modify system configurations, or establish footholds for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability also introduces denial of service risks, where the memory corruption could cause system instability or complete system crashes, disrupting business operations and potentially leading to data loss. Organizations relying on macOS for critical operations face significant exposure, especially those with remote management enabled or systems that automatically process applications from untrusted sources.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13808 primarily focus on upgrading to macOS 10.13.1 or later versions, which contain the necessary patches to address the memory handling issues within the Remote Management component. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all affected systems receive updates promptly. Additional protective measures include disabling unnecessary remote management services when not actively required, implementing strict application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted applications, and monitoring system logs for suspicious activity related to Remote Management services. Organizations should also consider network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts and implement endpoint detection and response solutions to identify anomalous behavior patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and the potential consequences of delayed remediation in enterprise environments where privileged system components are exposed to untrusted inputs.