CVE-2018-4266 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
A race condition was addressed with additional validation. This issue affected versions prior toiVersions prior to: OS 11.4.1, tvOS 11.4.1, watchOS 4.3.2, Safari 11.1.2, iTunes 12.8 for Windows, iCloud for Windows 7.6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-4266 represents a race condition flaw that existed in multiple Apple operating systems and applications prior to specific patched versions. This type of vulnerability occurs when multiple processes or threads attempt to access shared resources simultaneously, creating opportunities for unpredictable behavior and potential security exploits. The issue was particularly concerning because it affected core system components including macOS, iOS, tvOS, watchOS, Safari web browser, and various Apple desktop applications. The race condition manifested in scenarios where proper synchronization mechanisms were insufficient to prevent concurrent access to critical system resources, potentially allowing malicious actors to manipulate system behavior through carefully timed operations.
The technical implementation of this race condition involved insufficient validation mechanisms that failed to properly coordinate access to shared system resources during critical operations. This flaw falls under the broader category of concurrency vulnerabilities and aligns with CWE-362, which specifically addresses race conditions in software development. When multiple threads or processes attempted to access the same resource simultaneously, the system could execute operations in an unpredictable sequence, potentially leading to privilege escalation, data corruption, or unauthorized access to system functions. The vulnerability's impact was amplified by the widespread use of affected versions across Apple's ecosystem, making it a significant concern for enterprise and individual users alike.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-4266 extended beyond simple system instability to potentially enable sophisticated attacks against Apple users. Attackers could exploit the race condition to gain elevated privileges or manipulate system processes in ways that were not intended by the original software design. This vulnerability particularly affected environments where Apple's ecosystem was heavily utilized, including corporate networks and personal computing environments where users maintained multiple Apple devices. The affected versions included critical system components that were fundamental to device operation, meaning that exploitation could potentially lead to complete system compromise or unauthorized access to sensitive user data.
Apple addressed this vulnerability through targeted patches that introduced additional validation mechanisms to properly synchronize access to shared resources. The remediation efforts focused on strengthening the concurrency controls within the affected operating systems and applications, ensuring that critical operations would not proceed until proper resource locks were acquired. Organizations and individuals were advised to immediately upgrade to the patched versions including macOS 10.13.6, iOS 11.4.1, tvOS 11.4.1, watchOS 4.3.2, Safari 11.1.2, iTunes 12.8 for Windows, and iCloud for Windows 7.6. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through race conditions and concurrency flaws. The patch implementation demonstrates Apple's commitment to addressing concurrency vulnerabilities through improved synchronization mechanisms and proper resource management protocols.