CVE-2019-8697 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Mojave 10.14.6. An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with system privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2020
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw that existed in macOS Mojave versions prior to 10.14.6, classified under the Common Weakness Enumeration as CWE-121. The issue stems from inadequate memory management practices within the operating system's kernel or system frameworks, creating a potential pathway for privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability allows a local application to manipulate memory structures in a manner that could lead to arbitrary code execution with system-level privileges, effectively bypassing standard security boundaries that protect the operating system from malicious code execution.
The technical nature of this flaw involves improper memory handling mechanisms that could be exploited through carefully crafted memory operations. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to manipulate heap or stack memory regions, leading to code execution at the highest privilege level. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' tactic. The memory corruption could manifest through various attack vectors including buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or improper memory deallocation patterns that were not adequately mitigated in the affected system versions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it fundamentally undermines the security model of macOS by allowing any application to potentially gain system-level privileges. This creates a dangerous scenario where malicious software could execute with root access, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation. Organizations running affected macOS versions face significant risk as attackers could exploit this vulnerability to establish persistent access to systems without requiring user interaction or elevated privileges. The vulnerability affects the core integrity of the operating system's security architecture and could enable attackers to bypass standard security controls including code signing requirements and system integrity protection mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment to macOS Mojave 10.14.6 or later versions where the memory handling improvements have been implemented. System administrators should prioritize updating all affected systems and monitor for potential exploitation attempts through security information and event management tools. Additional protective measures include implementing application whitelisting policies, enabling system integrity protection, and conducting regular security assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts. The fix addresses the root cause through enhanced memory management routines that properly validate memory operations and prevent the corruption patterns that previously enabled privilege escalation attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive backup and recovery procedures to ensure rapid response capabilities in case of successful compromise.