CVE-2024-27823 in tvOS
Summary
by MITRE • 07/30/2024
A race condition was addressed with improved locking. This issue is fixed in iOS 16.7.8 and iPadOS 16.7.8, iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5, macOS Monterey 12.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.5, macOS Ventura 13.6.7, tvOS 17.5, visionOS 1.3, watchOS 10.5. An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to spoof network packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/04/2026
This vulnerability represents a race condition flaw that exists within Apple's operating systems, specifically affecting iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS versions prior to the mentioned security updates. The race condition occurs when multiple threads or processes attempt to access shared resources simultaneously without proper synchronization mechanisms, creating potential security implications for network communications. The flaw was addressed through improved locking mechanisms that ensure proper resource access control and prevent concurrent access issues that could lead to system instability or security breaches.
The technical implementation of this race condition involves scenarios where network packet processing or related system functions may be interrupted or manipulated by concurrent operations. When multiple processes attempt to modify shared network state information simultaneously, the lack of proper locking can result in inconsistent system states where an attacker positioned within a privileged network location could potentially craft and inject spoofed network packets. This vulnerability falls under the category of concurrency issues that are classified by CWE-362 as "Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization" and represents a critical concern for network security in operating system implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability to include potential network security compromise. An attacker with access to a privileged network position could exploit this race condition to manipulate network packet flow, potentially leading to man-in-the-middle attacks, data injection, or disruption of network communications. The security implications are particularly concerning given that the flaw affects multiple Apple platforms including mobile devices, desktop operating systems, and specialized hardware platforms like visionOS devices, creating a wide attack surface for potential exploitation.
Apple's resolution for this vulnerability involved implementing enhanced locking mechanisms throughout the network processing subsystems of affected operating systems. The security updates released for iOS 16.7.8, iPadOS 16.7.8, iOS 17.5, iPadOS 17.5, macOS Monterey 12.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.5, macOS Ventura 13.6.7, tvOS 17.5, visionOS 1.3, and watchOS 10.5 address the root cause by ensuring proper synchronization when accessing shared network resources. These updates align with ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and network injection attacks, specifically covering T1071.004 for application layer protocol and T1566 for credential access through network exploitation.
Organizations and users should prioritize immediate deployment of these security updates across all affected Apple platforms to mitigate potential exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper concurrency control in operating system design and highlights the critical need for robust synchronization mechanisms in network processing components. System administrators should also consider implementing additional network monitoring and intrusion detection measures to identify potential exploitation attempts, particularly in environments where privileged network access may be compromised. The fix represents a defensive measure against sophisticated attacks that could leverage timing vulnerabilities in network processing to gain unauthorized access or manipulate communications within affected systems.