CVE-2017-13827 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13 is affected. The issue involves the "kext tools" component. It allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context via a crafted app that performs kext loading.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13827 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.13. This security weakness resides within the kext tools component which governs kernel extension loading operations on macOS systems. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that fail to properly verify the authenticity and integrity of kernel extensions before loading them into the privileged kernel space. Attackers can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious applications that manipulate the kext loading process to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, effectively bypassing the operating system's security controls.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which describes weaknesses in memory handling that can lead to privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution. The flaw operates at the kernel level where legitimate system processes can be subverted through improper validation of kernel extension signatures. When a malicious application attempts to load a kernel extension, the vulnerable kext tools component fails to perform adequate checks on the extension's digital signature or code integrity, allowing untrusted code to be loaded into kernel memory. This creates a persistent privilege escalation vector that can be exploited by attackers to gain root-level access to affected systems.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to macOS environments as it enables attackers to execute code with the highest system privileges without requiring user interaction or elevated permissions. The exploitation process typically involves crafting a malicious application that loads a specially crafted kernel extension, which then executes arbitrary code within the kernel context. This capability allows attackers to bypass standard security mechanisms, modify system files, install persistent backdoors, and potentially exfiltrate sensitive data from the compromised system. The vulnerability affects all macOS versions before 10.13, making it particularly concerning for organizations with legacy systems that have not been updated.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by updating to macOS 10.13 or later versions where Apple has implemented proper kernel extension validation mechanisms. System administrators should also implement monitoring solutions to detect suspicious kext loading activities and consider deploying additional security controls such as kernel extension whitelisting policies. The mitigation strategy should include regular security assessments to identify systems running vulnerable macOS versions and ensure comprehensive patch management processes are in place. Additionally, implementing network-based intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability, while endpoint protection solutions should be configured to monitor for suspicious kernel extension activities that may indicate exploitation attempts.