CVE-2019-8643 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE • 12/23/2021
CVE-2019-8643: Arun Sharma of VMWare This issue is fixed in macOS Mojave 10.14. Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management..
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2021
CVE-2019-8643 represents a logic flaw in macOS Mojave 10.14 that stems from inadequate state management within the operating system's security architecture. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of software design weaknesses that can lead to unauthorized access or privilege escalation. The issue was identified and addressed by Arun Sharma from VMware, highlighting the importance of proper state handling in system security mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates how seemingly minor logic flaws can have significant implications for system integrity and user security.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper state management that allows for potential exploitation through crafted inputs or specific operational sequences. According to CWE standards, this represents a weakness in the system's state transition handling, which can lead to inconsistent security states and potential bypasses of access controls. The flaw likely exists in how the operating system manages internal states during security-sensitive operations, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate system behavior through carefully constructed sequences of actions. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the system level where proper state management is critical for maintaining security boundaries and access controls.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-8643 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks that exploit the inconsistent state management. Attackers could leverage this weakness to bypass security mechanisms that rely on proper state transitions, potentially gaining unauthorized access to system resources or escalating privileges without detection. The vulnerability's exploitation would likely require specific conditions that align with the system's current operational state, making it less trivial but still significant in terms of potential impact. This type of logic flaw is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where macOS systems serve as critical infrastructure components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-8643 primarily focus on updating to the patched version of macOS Mojave 10.14, which addresses the underlying state management issues. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all macOS systems receive the necessary updates promptly. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous system behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include verification of patch installation and confirmation of proper state management functions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability would be categorized under privilege escalation techniques that exploit software weaknesses, making it important for security teams to monitor for related attack patterns. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar state management issues that might exist in other system components.