CVE-2021-30675 in Boot Camp
Summary
by MITRE • 09/08/2021
A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management. This issue is fixed in Boot Camp 6.1.14. A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/11/2021
The memory corruption vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-30675 resides within Apple's Boot Camp software ecosystem, specifically affecting version 6.1.14 and earlier releases. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that stems from inadequate state management during the boot process and hardware initialization phases. The vulnerability manifests when the Boot Camp driver fails to properly validate or manage memory states during system transitions, creating exploitable conditions that could allow malicious code to manipulate system behavior. The issue is particularly concerning as it directly impacts the foundational boot process of macOS systems, potentially providing attackers with pathways to compromise system integrity at a fundamental level.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper memory handling within the Boot Camp driver components that manage hardware abstraction layers during system boot sequences. When a malicious application attempts to exploit this flaw, it can manipulate memory structures that should remain protected or properly initialized, leading to potential privilege escalation from standard user context to administrative privileges. This memory corruption occurs during the interaction between the operating system and hardware drivers, specifically when managing boot configurations and hardware state transitions. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and potentially CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios, though the specific implementation appears to focus on state management rather than pure buffer overflows.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-30675 extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it enables attackers to achieve unauthorized privilege escalation within macOS environments. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain root access to systems running affected Boot Camp versions, potentially allowing them to install malicious software, modify system files, or exfiltrate sensitive data without detection. The attack vector typically involves a malicious application that leverages the memory corruption to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. This exploitation capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes the use of local privilege escalation techniques, and T1543, which covers persistence mechanisms through boot or logon initialization scripts. The vulnerability affects systems that utilize Boot Camp for dual-boot configurations, making it particularly relevant in enterprise environments where Windows and macOS coexist.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-30675 primarily focus on immediate software updates and system hardening measures. Apple has addressed this vulnerability through the release of Boot Camp 6.1.14, which implements improved state management protocols and enhanced memory validation mechanisms. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of this update across all affected systems, particularly those running macOS versions that utilize Boot Camp for dual-boot functionality. Additional protective measures include implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted applications, enabling system integrity protection features, and monitoring for anomalous privilege escalation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify suspicious memory manipulation patterns or unauthorized privilege elevation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date system components and highlights the risks associated with legacy software that may not receive ongoing security updates, particularly in environments where Boot Camp is actively utilized for system management and deployment.