CVE-2019-6205 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved lock state checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 12.1.3, macOS Mojave 10.14.3, tvOS 12.1.2. A malicious application may cause unexpected changes in memory shared between processes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/21/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-6205 represents a critical memory corruption flaw that affects Apple's operating systems including iOS 12.1.2, macOS Mojave 10.14.2, and tvOS 12.1.1. This issue stems from inadequate lock state checking mechanisms within the system's memory management architecture, creating a pathway for unauthorized memory manipulation. The flaw manifests when a malicious application attempts to exploit improper synchronization primitives that govern access to shared memory regions between different processes. According to the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, this vulnerability maps to CWE-119 which encompasses weaknesses related to memory corruption through improper access to memory resources. The security implications extend beyond simple data corruption as the flaw enables a malicious actor to potentially execute arbitrary code within the context of other processes, leveraging the shared memory spaces to escalate privileges and compromise system integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a sophisticated attack vector that manipulates the lock state management within the kernel's memory subsystem. When processes attempt to access shared memory regions, the flawed lock checking mechanism fails to properly validate the state transitions, allowing for race conditions that can lead to memory corruption. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1055 which covers process injection and memory manipulation techniques. The memory corruption can manifest in various ways including buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or arbitrary memory writes that can be leveraged to redirect execution flow or modify critical system data structures. Attackers can craft malicious applications that specifically target these lock state inconsistencies to gain unauthorized access to memory spaces that should remain protected, effectively breaking the isolation guarantees that separate processes normally maintain.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-6205 extends significantly beyond immediate memory corruption effects, as it provides a potential pathway for persistent system compromise. Once exploited, the vulnerability can enable attackers to establish footholds within the operating system that persist across reboots and system updates, making detection and remediation more challenging. The shared memory access pattern exploited by this vulnerability means that a compromised application can potentially affect other running processes, creating cascading failures that can impact system stability and security. Organizations and users face elevated risk of data breaches, privilege escalation attacks, and potential full system compromise. The vulnerability's presence in multiple Apple platforms including mobile and desktop operating systems creates a broad attack surface that requires coordinated patch management across different device types. Security professionals must consider this vulnerability as part of broader threat modeling exercises, particularly in environments where untrusted applications might be executed or where process isolation is critical for maintaining security boundaries.
The remediation approach for CVE-2019-6205 focuses on implementing the security patches released by Apple in their respective system updates. iOS 12.1.3, macOS Mojave 10.14.3, and tvOS 12.1.2 contain the necessary fixes that address the lock state checking deficiencies. System administrators should prioritize deployment of these updates across all affected platforms to eliminate the vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring for suspicious process behavior and memory access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The fix addresses the root cause by strengthening the lock state validation mechanisms within the kernel's memory management subsystem, ensuring proper synchronization between processes accessing shared resources. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement network segmentation to limit the impact of successful attacks. Given the nature of the vulnerability and its implications for process isolation, organizations should also review their application security policies and consider implementing additional safeguards such as sandboxing mechanisms and privilege separation to mitigate potential exploitation scenarios.