CVE-2018-4310 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue affected versions prior to iOS 12, macOS Mojave 10.14.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-4310 represents a sandbox access control issue that existed in Apple's operating systems prior to the release of iOS 12 and macOS Mojave 10.14. This flaw manifested as insufficient sandbox restrictions that allowed applications to potentially bypass security boundaries designed to isolate processes and limit their access to system resources. The vulnerability falls under the category of improper access control issues, which are commonly classified as CWE-284 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, representing improper access control that enables unauthorized access to resources or capabilities.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the sandbox implementation within Apple's operating systems where applications and processes are supposed to operate within confined environments that restrict their ability to access files, system resources, and other applications. When sandbox restrictions are inadequate, malicious or vulnerable applications may exploit these weaknesses to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or system components that should remain protected. The flaw specifically affected the underlying security architecture that governs how applications interact with the operating system's core services and file systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-4310 was significant for users of affected systems, as it created potential attack vectors that could be exploited by malicious actors to access data that should have been protected by sandboxing mechanisms. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to read sensitive files, access other applications' data, or perform actions that would normally be restricted by the sandbox environment. This access issue particularly affected system integrity and data confidentiality, as it undermined the fundamental security model that separates user applications from system resources and other applications.
The remediation for this vulnerability required updates to the operating systems, specifically iOS 12 and macOS Mojave 10.14, which included enhanced sandbox restrictions and improved access control mechanisms. Security patches implemented additional controls that tightened the boundaries of sandboxed applications, ensuring that they could not access resources outside their designated permissions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability would map to techniques involving privilege escalation and persistence, as attackers could potentially use such sandbox escapes to maintain access or elevate their privileges within the system environment.
Organizations and users were advised to immediately update their systems to the patched versions to mitigate the risk associated with this access control flaw. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining current system updates and the critical nature of sandboxing mechanisms in preventing unauthorized access to system resources. Security professionals should consider this issue when assessing the security posture of systems running affected versions, particularly in environments where multiple applications interact with sensitive data or where strict access control is required. The fix implemented by Apple addressed the root cause by strengthening the enforcement of sandbox boundaries and ensuring that applications could not bypass these security controls to access restricted resources.