CVE-2018-4047 in CleanMyMac X
Summary
by MITRE
An exploitable privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the helper service of Clean My Mac X, version 4.04, due to improper input validation. An attacker with local access could exploit this vulnerability to modify the file system as root.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-4047 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Clean My Mac X application version 4.04 helper service. This issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that allow malicious local users to exploit the system and execute arbitrary file system modifications with root privileges. The helper service component operates with elevated permissions to perform system cleanup tasks, but fails to properly sanitize user inputs before processing them. This design flaw creates an attack surface where untrusted input can be manipulated to bypass normal security restrictions and gain unauthorized administrative access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the helper service's failure to validate or sanitize inputs passed from the main application to the privileged helper process. When Clean My Mac X executes certain cleanup operations, it communicates with the helper service through a communication channel that does not adequately validate the integrity of incoming data. This allows an attacker to inject malicious parameters or commands that are then processed with root privileges. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the helper service performs file system operations without proper input sanitization, enabling attackers to manipulate file paths, permissions, or execute arbitrary commands through the trusted helper service interface.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to macOS systems running the affected version of Clean My Mac X. Local attackers who can execute code on the target system can leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges from standard user level to root access without requiring additional authentication or exploitation techniques. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as the attacker can then modify system files, install malicious software, create new user accounts, or disable security mechanisms. This represents a particularly dangerous vulnerability because it requires no network connectivity or remote attack vectors, making it exploitable through local system compromise or physical access scenarios. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental security weakness that can lead to various privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution scenarios.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly benign application functionality can become a security risk when proper input validation is omitted from privileged code paths. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting malicious inputs that manipulate the helper service's behavior to perform unauthorized file system modifications. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in the context of the ATT&CK framework where it maps to privilege escalation techniques and persistence mechanisms. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of least privilege principles and proper sandboxing of helper services in macOS applications. Organizations should consider this issue as part of their broader security posture assessment and implement immediate mitigations to prevent exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-4047 should prioritize the immediate update of Clean My Mac X to a patched version that addresses the input validation issues within the helper service. System administrators should also consider implementing additional controls such as monitoring for unusual file system modifications, reviewing application permissions, and ensuring that only trusted applications are installed with helper services. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of proper input validation in all code paths, particularly those operating with elevated privileges. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized applications from installing helper services that could potentially exploit similar flaws. Regular security assessments of third-party applications and their helper services are essential to identify and remediate such vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.