CVE-2017-13812 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13.1 is affected. The issue involves the "libarchive" component. It allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted archive file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13812 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.13.1. This issue resides within the libarchive component, a widely used library for handling various archive file formats including tar, zip, and others. The libarchive library serves as a fundamental building block for many macOS applications and system functions that process compressed files, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could be exploited through common file operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the archive parsing routines, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious archive files that trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions when processed by affected systems.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious archive file is processed by any application or system component that relies on the libarchive library for archive handling. Attackers can craft specially designed archive files containing malformed data structures that, when parsed by the vulnerable libarchive implementation, cause memory corruption through buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management errors. These conditions can lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the compromised process, potentially allowing full system compromise. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because archive files are commonly encountered in email attachments, file downloads, and system utilities, making exploitation vectors widespread and difficult to predict. The memory corruption can manifest as application crashes, system instability, or more severe conditions that enable attackers to inject and execute malicious code within the target environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-13812 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the vulnerability can be leveraged for complete system compromise when properly exploited. Remote attackers can deliver malicious archive files through various channels including email, web downloads, or compromised websites, with the potential for automatic execution when users open or process these files. The vulnerability affects not just individual applications but entire system components that utilize libarchive for file operations, creating a broad attack surface. Security researchers have classified this vulnerability under CWE-121, which describes "Stack-based Buffer Overflow", and it aligns with ATT&CK techniques involving execution through archive manipulation and privilege escalation. The vulnerability's exploitation can result in persistent backdoor installation, data exfiltration, or complete system takeover, making it a significant concern for enterprise environments where macOS systems are prevalent.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected macOS systems to address this vulnerability, as Apple released security updates for macOS 10.13.1 and subsequent versions that resolve the memory corruption issues within libarchive. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring for suspicious archive file handling activities and consider network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts. The mitigation strategy should include disabling automatic archive extraction in email clients and web browsers, implementing strict file type validation, and maintaining up-to-date antivirus signatures that can detect malicious archive content. Additionally, security awareness training for end users regarding the dangers of opening unknown archive files is essential, as social engineering remains a primary delivery method for such exploits. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques for archive processing and establishing incident response procedures specifically designed to handle archive-based exploitation attempts, ensuring rapid detection and containment of potential security breaches.