CVE-2019-8545 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in iOS 12.2, macOS Mojave 10.14.4, tvOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2. A local user may be able to cause unexpected system termination or read kernel memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-8545 represents a memory corruption flaw that existed within Apple's operating systems, specifically affecting iOS 12.1 and earlier versions, macOS Mojave 10.14.3 and earlier, tvOS 12.1 and earlier, and watchOS 5.1 and earlier. This issue stems from inadequate state management within the kernel-level components of these operating systems, creating conditions where memory corruption could occur through improper handling of system resources. The flaw manifests when local users exploit specific conditions that trigger unexpected behavior in kernel memory management routines, potentially leading to system instability or unauthorized memory access patterns.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-122, which describes improper restriction of operations within a memory buffer, and CWE-125, which covers overread conditions in memory operations. The flaw operates at the kernel level where memory management functions fail to properly validate state transitions or memory boundaries, allowing malicious or unintended operations to corrupt memory structures. This type of vulnerability typically arises when kernel code does not adequately check input parameters or maintain proper synchronization between concurrent operations, creating opportunities for memory corruption through crafted inputs or system interactions that exceed expected operational boundaries.
From an operational perspective, the impact of CVE-2019-8545 presents significant security implications for affected systems. A local user with access to the system can potentially cause unexpected system termination through kernel crashes or panic conditions that result from memory corruption. Additionally, the vulnerability enables read access to kernel memory, which provides attackers with opportunities to extract sensitive information from system memory, including cryptographic keys, user credentials, or other confidential data stored in kernel space. This capability violates fundamental security principles of memory isolation and system integrity, potentially enabling privilege escalation attacks or information disclosure scenarios that could compromise the entire system.
The mitigation for this vulnerability required updating to the patched versions of affected operating systems, with Apple releasing iOS 12.2, macOS Mojave 10.14.4, tvOS 12.2, and watchOS 5.2 to address the memory corruption issue. These updates implemented improved state management mechanisms within kernel components, including enhanced validation of memory operations and stricter boundary checking for kernel memory access patterns. Security professionals should prioritize deployment of these patches across all affected systems, as the vulnerability represents a significant risk to system stability and security. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patches do not introduce compatibility issues with existing applications or system configurations while maintaining the improved memory management protections.
Organizations should consider this vulnerability in their threat modeling activities, particularly when evaluating potential attack vectors that could exploit local access conditions to achieve system compromise. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under techniques involving privilege escalation and information gathering, where adversaries might leverage memory corruption flaws to gain deeper system access. The remediation process should also include monitoring for potential exploitation attempts and ensuring that system administrators have appropriate access controls to minimize the risk of local users exploiting such vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining systems that may not have received the necessary updates, as the memory corruption nature of this flaw could potentially enable more sophisticated attacks if left unpatched.