CVE-2020-3883 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
This issue was addressed with improved checks. This issue is fixed in iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4, macOS Catalina 10.15.4, tvOS 13.4, watchOS 6.2. An application may be able to use arbitrary entitlements.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3883 represents a significant entitlement abuse flaw within Apple's operating systems that could potentially allow malicious applications to escalate their privileges and access restricted system resources. This issue stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that govern how applications can utilize entitlements, which are permissions that grant specific capabilities to software running on Apple platforms. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple operating systems including iOS 13.4, iPadOS 13.4, macOS Catalina 10.15.4, tvOS 13.4, and watchOS 6.2, indicating a widespread impact across Apple's ecosystem.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper validation of entitlements that applications can request and utilize, creating a pathway for privilege escalation attacks. When an application attempts to use entitlements, the system should verify that the application has legitimate authorization to access those specific capabilities. However, the vulnerability allows applications to potentially bypass these checks and use entitlements that they should not be permitted to access. This represents a critical breakdown in Apple's entitlement validation system, which is designed to enforce security boundaries and prevent unauthorized access to system resources. The flaw falls under the category of improper input validation and privilege escalation, with direct implications for the principle of least privilege that governs secure system design.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it could enable attackers to access sensitive system functions, data, and resources that should remain protected. Applications with malicious intent could exploit this flaw to gain access to features such as camera access, location services, network capabilities, and other system-level functions that are normally restricted. This could result in unauthorized data collection, surveillance capabilities, and potential system compromise. From an attacker's perspective, the vulnerability provides a method to circumvent the security model that Apple has implemented to protect users from malicious software. The implications align with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and persistence, where attackers seek to gain elevated system privileges to maintain access and expand their attack surface.
Apple addressed this vulnerability by implementing improved checks and validation mechanisms for entitlement usage across all affected operating systems. The remediation involves strengthening the entitlement validation process to ensure that applications cannot use arbitrary entitlements beyond their legitimate scope. This fix demonstrates Apple's ongoing commitment to addressing security vulnerabilities in their operating systems and maintaining the integrity of their security model. Organizations and users should prioritize updating to the affected versions mentioned in the patch notes, as these updates contain critical security enhancements that restore proper entitlement validation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of continuous security auditing and the need for robust validation mechanisms in operating system security models, particularly in environments where multiple applications with varying privilege levels interact with system resources. This type of vulnerability underscores the critical nature of entitlement management in modern operating systems and the potential consequences of inadequate validation controls.
The remediation approach taken by Apple aligns with industry best practices for privilege management and entitlement validation, ensuring that security controls maintain their effectiveness against evolving threats. The fix reinforces the security boundaries that protect user data and system integrity, particularly in mobile and embedded environments where applications may have varying levels of trust and access requirements. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the complex security challenges faced by operating system vendors and the importance of maintaining up-to-date security measures to protect against sophisticated attacks that target fundamental system controls.