CVE-2018-4138 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in certain Apple products. macOS before 10.13.4 is affected. The issue involves the "NVIDIA Graphics Drivers" component. It allows attackers to bypass intended memory-read restrictions via a crafted app.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-4138 represents a significant security flaw within Apple's macOS operating system affecting versions prior to 10.13.4. This weakness specifically targets the NVIDIA Graphics Drivers component, which serves as a critical interface between the operating system and graphics processing hardware. The issue stems from inadequate memory protection mechanisms that fail to properly enforce access controls for graphics driver memory regions, creating a pathway for malicious applications to circumvent intended security boundaries. The vulnerability operates at the kernel level where graphics driver components interact with system memory, making it particularly dangerous as it can potentially allow privilege escalation and unauthorized data access.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on crafting a malicious application that can manipulate memory access patterns within the NVIDIA graphics driver subsystem. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform unauthorized memory reads that should normally be restricted to privileged processes or system components. This bypass mechanism operates by exploiting improper validation of memory access requests within the graphics driver's memory management functions, allowing a crafted application to access memory regions that contain sensitive data or system resources. The vulnerability demonstrates a clear failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement, where user-space applications can access memory that should remain protected from unauthorized access.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-4138 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can enable more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation and potential system compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains the ability to read memory contents that may contain sensitive information such as user credentials, encryption keys, or other confidential data stored in protected memory regions. This access can facilitate further exploitation attempts including code injection, process manipulation, or even complete system compromise depending on the specific memory locations accessed. The vulnerability affects all macOS systems running versions before 10.13.4, making it particularly widespread and concerning for organizations with older systems.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves local privilege escalation through kernel exploits. The flaw represents a classic example of insufficient memory protection in driver components, where the graphics driver fails to properly validate memory access requests from user applications. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to address this vulnerability, as it provides attackers with a straightforward path to bypass memory protection mechanisms. The recommended mitigation strategy involves upgrading to macOS 10.13.4 or later, which includes fixes that properly enforce memory access controls within the NVIDIA graphics driver subsystem. Additionally, system administrators should monitor for suspicious applications that may attempt to exploit this vulnerability and implement appropriate security controls to limit memory access privileges for graphics-related processes.