CVE-2017-13828 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13.1 is affected. The issue involves the "Fonts" component. It allows remote attackers to spoof the user interface via crafted text.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13828 represents a significant security flaw within Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.13.1. This issue specifically targets the Fonts component of the system, which serves as a critical element in rendering text and user interface elements across the operating environment. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the font handling subsystem that processes text rendering operations, creating an avenue for malicious actors to manipulate visual elements displayed to users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit the font rendering pipeline through the injection of specially crafted text sequences that can deceive the user interface. This flaw operates at the intersection of font processing and graphical user interface rendering, where malicious text input can trigger unexpected behavior in how fonts are displayed and processed by the system. The attack vector specifically leverages the way macOS handles font substitution and text rendering when encountering malformed or specially constructed font data, enabling attackers to manipulate how text appears to end users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple visual deception, as it can potentially enable more sophisticated social engineering attacks where users might be misled by manipulated interface elements. This type of attack falls under the broader category of user interface spoofing and can be particularly dangerous in contexts where users rely on visual cues for security decisions. The vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to craft convincing phishing attempts or misleading interface elements that could compromise user trust and security awareness.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-254, which addresses security weaknesses in the font processing and text rendering components of operating systems. The flaw also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers the use of scripting languages and text manipulation for malicious purposes. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can leverage it through network-based attacks without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where macOS systems may be exposed to untrusted network traffic.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13828 primarily focus on updating to macOS 10.13.1 or later versions where Apple has implemented proper font validation and sanitization mechanisms. System administrators should prioritize patch management to ensure all affected macOS systems receive the necessary security updates. Additional protective measures include implementing network monitoring to detect suspicious font-related traffic patterns and establishing user awareness training to help identify potential spoofing attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict font loading from untrusted sources, as this can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts.