CVE-2017-13831 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13.1 is affected. The issue involves the "ImageIO" component. It allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information or cause a denial of service via a crafted image.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13831 represents a critical security flaw within Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.13.1. This issue resides within the ImageIO framework, which serves as the core image processing component responsible for handling various image file formats across the Apple ecosystem. The ImageIO framework is extensively utilized by numerous applications and system components that process image data, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could potentially affect a wide range of software applications that rely on proper image handling capabilities.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the ImageIO component when processing specially crafted image files. Attackers can exploit this weakness by preparing malicious image files that, when processed by the affected macOS versions, trigger unintended behavior in the system's memory management mechanisms. This flaw allows for information disclosure through memory corruption that could expose sensitive data stored in memory regions accessible to the compromised process. The vulnerability also enables denial of service conditions where the crafted image files can cause applications to crash or become unresponsive, effectively disrupting normal system operations and user productivity.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for macOS users and organizations that have not yet updated to the patched version 10.13.1. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can potentially compromise systems without requiring physical access or user interaction beyond viewing the malicious image file. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users might encounter untrusted image files through email attachments, web browsing, or file sharing platforms. The attack surface is extensive since ImageIO is used by numerous applications including Safari, Preview, Photos, and various third-party software that handles image processing.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to information disclosure, and CWE-129, which covers improper validation of array indices. The exploitation pattern also corresponds to techniques documented in the ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 sub-technique for scripting languages and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of the macOS 10.13.1 update to remediate this vulnerability and implement additional security controls such as image file validation, network-based filtering of suspicious image files, and user education about avoiding untrusted image content. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software systems and highlights the risks associated with delayed patch management in enterprise environments where legacy macOS versions may still be in use.