CVE-2017-7173 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13.2 is affected. The issue involves the "Kernel" component. It allows attackers to bypass intended memory-read restrictions via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-7173 represents a critical kernel-level security flaw in Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.13.2. This issue resides within the kernel component which serves as the core of the operating system's memory management and access control mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of memory access permissions that allows malicious applications to circumvent the intended security boundaries designed to protect system memory from unauthorized access. The flaw specifically enables attackers to craft specially designed applications that can bypass memory-read restrictions that are normally enforced by the kernel's memory management subsystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves exploitation of kernel memory management functions that should enforce strict access controls between user-space applications and kernel-space memory regions. Attackers can leverage this weakness by developing crafted applications that manipulate memory access patterns to read kernel memory locations that would normally be restricted. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-20 category of "Improper Input Validation" and specifically relates to improper access control mechanisms within kernel space. The attack vector requires the victim to execute a malicious application, making this a user-execution based vulnerability that can be delivered through various attack vectors including phishing campaigns, malicious downloads, or social engineering tactics.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-7173 is severe as it provides attackers with elevated privileges and access to sensitive kernel memory areas that contain critical system information, credentials, and operational data. This vulnerability can potentially enable privilege escalation attacks where attackers gain root access to the system, allowing them to execute arbitrary code with full system privileges. The implications extend beyond simple memory access violations as this could lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistent backdoor installation. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1055 for Process Injection and T1068 for Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, providing attackers with the foundational capability to move laterally within compromised systems and maintain persistent access.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate deployment of Apple's security patches and updates to macOS version 10.13.2 or later, which contain the necessary kernel memory access control improvements. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring of suspicious application execution patterns and memory access behaviors that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should enforce application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of untrusted applications, as the vulnerability requires user interaction to execute the malicious payload. The remediation process should include verification of patch deployment across all affected systems and implementation of security controls that limit the attack surface for privilege escalation attempts. Network-based detection measures should be enhanced to identify potential exploitation attempts through anomalous memory access patterns or suspicious application behavior that could indicate successful exploitation of this kernel-level vulnerability.