CVE-2017-7122 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13 is affected. The issue involves the third-party "file" product. Versions before 5.30 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7122 represents a critical security flaw affecting Apple macOS systems prior to version 10.13. This issue stems from a problematic interaction within the third-party "file" utility, which serves as a fundamental system component for identifying file types and characteristics. The vulnerability specifically impacts systems running macOS versions earlier than 10.13, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors who can exploit this weakness to compromise system stability and functionality. The affected "file" utility, which is part of the file command suite used extensively in Unix-like operating systems, contains a buffer overflow condition that can be triggered through malformed input processing, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where automated file detection and classification processes are common.
The technical flaw manifests as a buffer overflow vulnerability within the third-party file utility implementation, which operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-121. This buffer overflow occurs when the utility processes certain file formats or data structures that exceed allocated memory boundaries, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential system exploitation. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple denial of service, as the flaw may allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause more severe system instability. The root cause lies in insufficient input validation and memory management within the file utility's parsing routines, which fail to properly handle oversized or malformed data streams that could originate from network sources or local file systems. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious file inputs that trigger the buffer overflow condition, potentially leading to application crashes or more serious security consequences.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7122 poses significant risks to macOS environments, particularly in enterprise and organizational settings where automated file processing systems are prevalent. Organizations running affected macOS versions face potential service disruption through application crashes and system instability, while the unspecified other impacts suggest the possibility of privilege escalation or remote code execution scenarios. The vulnerability's exploitation can occur remotely through network-based file transfers or locally through malicious file attachments, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with external file sources. Security professionals must consider this vulnerability as part of the broader ATT&CK framework, specifically relating to privilege escalation and denial of service techniques, as it can be leveraged to compromise system integrity and availability. The affected systems may experience cascading failures in automated processes that rely on file type detection, potentially affecting backup systems, file sharing services, and security scanning applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-7122 primarily focus on immediate system updates to macOS version 10.13 or later, which includes patched implementations of the affected file utility. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive the necessary updates promptly. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions can help detect potential exploitation attempts by monitoring for unusual file processing activities or malformed data patterns that may indicate attempted exploitation. Security teams should also consider implementing additional controls such as file type validation, input sanitization, and restricted execution environments for file processing utilities. The vulnerability highlights the importance of third-party software security assessment and continuous monitoring of system components, as it demonstrates how seemingly innocuous utilities can contain critical security flaws. Organizations should maintain updated vulnerability databases and conduct regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in their technology stack, particularly focusing on the security posture of widely used system utilities and command-line tools.