CVE-2020-9969 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE • 12/09/2020
An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions. This issue is fixed in macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, watchOS 7.0, tvOS 14.0, iOS 14.0 and iPadOS 14.0. A local user may be able to view senstive user information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-9969 represents a critical access control flaw within Apple's operating systems that undermines the security boundaries designed to protect user data. This issue manifests as insufficient sandbox restrictions that allow unauthorized access to sensitive user information, fundamentally compromising the integrity of the system's security model. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple platforms including macOS Big Sur, watchOS, tvOS, iOS, and iPadOS, indicating a systemic weakness in the sandboxing architecture that governs application isolation and data protection mechanisms.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the inadequate enforcement of sandbox restrictions that are supposed to limit applications' access to user data and system resources. Sandboxing is a fundamental security principle that isolates applications from each other and from sensitive system components, preventing unauthorized data access and system compromise. When these restrictions are weakened or bypassed, as demonstrated in CVE-2020-9969, malicious or compromised applications can potentially access sensitive user information that should remain protected within the confines of proper sandbox boundaries. This flaw aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges and access control issues, and represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege that should govern all system access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates potential pathways for further exploitation and lateral movement within affected systems. A local user with malicious intent could leverage this access issue to gather sensitive information including personal data, credentials, and potentially system configuration details that could facilitate more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability's presence across multiple Apple platforms suggests a widespread weakness in the underlying security architecture that affects the entire ecosystem of devices that rely on Apple's sandboxing mechanisms for protection. This type of vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059, which involves the use of system commands and scripts to gain unauthorized access, and T1070, which encompasses the use of sandbox evasion techniques to bypass security controls.
Apple's response to this vulnerability involved implementing additional sandbox restrictions in the affected versions, specifically addressing the issue in macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, watchOS 7.0, tvOS 14.0, iOS 14.0, and iPadOS 14.0. The remediation approach focuses on strengthening the isolation boundaries that separate applications from sensitive user data, ensuring that applications cannot access information beyond their designated permissions. Organizations and users should immediately apply these updates to protect against potential exploitation of this access control weakness. The fix demonstrates Apple's commitment to maintaining robust security boundaries through continuous improvement of sandboxing mechanisms and proper privilege management. System administrators should also conduct thorough security assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts that may have occurred prior to the patch deployment, as the vulnerability could have enabled persistent access to sensitive user information across all affected platforms.