CVE-2017-7069 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. iOS before 10.3.3 is affected. macOS before 10.12.6 is affected. tvOS before 10.2.2 is affected. watchOS before 3.2.3 is affected. The issue involves the "Kernel" 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 • 01/05/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7069 represents a critical kernel-level flaw affecting multiple Apple operating systems including iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. This issue resides within the kernel component of Apple's software stack, making it particularly dangerous as it operates at the core level of system security and functionality. The vulnerability affects versions prior to iOS 10.3.3, macOS 10.12.6, tvOS 10.2.2, and watchOS 3.2.3, indicating a widespread impact across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges or potentially cause system crashes through memory corruption, presenting both persistent execution risks and denial of service capabilities that could compromise entire device functionalities.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory management within the kernel, which creates opportunities for attackers to craft malicious applications that can exploit memory corruption flaws. This type of vulnerability typically involves buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory manipulation techniques that allow unauthorized code execution in privileged contexts. The kernel level access means that successful exploitation could provide attackers with root-level privileges, enabling them to bypass all standard security controls and access sensitive system resources. This aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions that can lead to memory corruption and privilege escalation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant threats to user security and system stability across all affected Apple platforms. The ability to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context means that attackers could gain complete control over affected devices, potentially leading to data theft, persistent backdoors, or system-wide compromise. The denial of service aspect further compounds the risk by potentially rendering devices unusable through memory corruption attacks that crash the kernel or system processes. Organizations and individual users operating affected versions face elevated risks of targeted attacks, particularly in environments where device security is paramount, such as corporate networks, government systems, or applications handling sensitive data. This vulnerability represents a classic privilege escalation attack vector that can be exploited through seemingly benign applications, making detection and prevention challenging.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7069 primarily focus on immediate system updates and patches provided by Apple to address the kernel-level memory corruption flaw. Users should prioritize updating to the latest available versions of their respective operating systems, as Apple released security updates specifically addressing this vulnerability in iOS 10.3.3, macOS 10.12.6, tvOS 10.2.2, and watchOS 3.2.3. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected devices receive updates promptly. Additional protective measures include implementing application whitelisting policies, monitoring for suspicious application behavior, and maintaining robust endpoint security solutions that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers exploit for privilege escalation, indicates that traditional security controls may be insufficient, requiring enhanced monitoring and proactive threat hunting activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, particularly in environments where affected devices may be exposed to untrusted networks or applications.