CVE-2019-8701 in macOS
Summary
by MITRE
A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved memory handling. This issue is fixed in macOS Catalina 10.15. An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with system privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical memory corruption flaw that existed in Apple's operating system prior to the release of macOS Catalina 10.15. The issue stems from inadequate memory handling mechanisms that could potentially allow malicious applications to exploit memory management weaknesses and escalate privileges to system level access. The vulnerability falls under the category of memory safety issues that are commonly classified as CWE-125, which represents out-of-bounds read conditions, or CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write conditions. These types of vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, effectively bypassing normal security boundaries that protect the operating system from unauthorized access.
The technical nature of this memory corruption vulnerability indicates that an application could manipulate memory structures in ways that were not properly validated or constrained by the system's memory management subsystem. When an application attempts to access memory locations outside of its allocated boundaries, it can cause unpredictable behavior that attackers can exploit to gain control over system resources. This type of flaw is particularly concerning in operating systems where applications are expected to operate within strict memory boundaries, as the memory corruption could enable attackers to overwrite critical system data structures or inject malicious code into system processes. The vulnerability represents a fundamental breakdown in the memory safety mechanisms that are essential for maintaining system integrity and protecting against privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides a pathway for malicious applications to execute arbitrary code with system privileges, effectively allowing attackers to bypass standard security controls and gain complete control over affected systems. This capability enables attackers to perform actions such as installing malware, modifying system files, accessing sensitive data, and creating backdoors that persist across system reboots. The vulnerability's exploitation potential aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through system-level vulnerabilities, and T1059, which addresses execution through system commands and scripts. Organizations running affected versions of macOS are at significant risk of compromise, as the vulnerability could be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious applications, drive-by downloads, or social engineering campaigns that trick users into executing compromised code.
The fix implemented in macOS Catalina 10.15 addresses this vulnerability through enhanced memory handling mechanisms that properly validate memory access operations and prevent out-of-bounds memory operations from occurring. Apple's patch likely includes improvements to the memory management subsystem that enforce stricter bounds checking, implement better memory allocation strategies, and provide additional safeguards against memory corruption attacks. System administrators and security professionals should prioritize the deployment of this update across all affected systems, as the vulnerability represents a critical threat that could be actively exploited in the wild. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as application whitelisting, monitoring for suspicious memory access patterns, and maintaining up-to-date threat intelligence to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of keeping operating systems updated and maintaining robust memory safety practices in modern software development environments.