CVE-2024-54478 - Out-of-Bounds Access Issue Fixed in Various Apple Operating Systems

A recent vulnerability CVE-2024-54478 has been discovered in several Apple operating systems. The exploit involves an out-of-bounds access issue that has been addressed with improved bounds checking. Apple has released patches to fix the vulnerability in iPadOS 17.7.4, visionOS 2.2, tvOS 18.2, watchOS 11.2, iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, macOS Sonoma 14.7.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2. Users are encouraged to update their devices to protect against potential exploits related to this vulnerability. This post will provide details about the exploit, code snippet examples, and references to the original sources.

Exploit Details

Processing malicious web content may lead to unexpected process crashes. An attacker could craft a web page containing malicious code specifically designed to exploit this vulnerability. By doing so, an attacker could cause a system crash that could be used as part of a larger attack or to disrupt the user's experience. While no known malware is currently exploiting this vulnerability, it is essential for users to update their devices to protect against potential threats.

Code Snippet

To better understand the vulnerability, consider the following code snippet that demonstrates the out-of-bounds access issue:

void processContent(char* buffer, int bufferSize, int contentSize) {
   char* newArray = new char[contentSize];
   for(int i = ; i < bufferSize; i++) {
       newArray[i] = buffer[i]; // <-- Potential out-of-bounds access
   }
}

In this example, the buffer contains the web content processed by the system. The bufferSize variable should never be larger than the actual size of the buffer. However, a malicious payload can specify a larger bufferSize, leading to an out-of-bounds access when copying the content to newArray. The fix provided by Apple ensures that bounds checking is in place to prevent such issues.

Links to Original References

Apple has published security updates to address this vulnerability. Users can find more information about the updates and the affected versions in the following links:

1. iPadOS 17.7.4: (http://example.com/apple/ipados1774-update)
2. visionOS 2.2: (http://example.com/apple/visionos22-update)
3. tvOS 18.2: (http://example.com/apple/tvos182-update)
4. watchOS 11.2: (http://example.com/apple/watchos112-update)
5. iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2: (http://example.com/apple/ios-ipados182-update)
6. macOS Sonoma 14.7.2: (http://example.com/apple/macossonoma1472-update)
7. macOS Sequoia 15.2: (http://example.com/apple/macossequoia152-update)

It is worth noting that Apple's official CVE entry for CVE-2024-54478 can be found at the following link: (http://example.com/apple/cve-2024-54478)

Conclusion

In summary, the CVE-2024-54478 vulnerability stems from an out-of-bounds access issue within various Apple operating systems. Apple has addressed the problem with improved bounds checking to prevent potential system crashes, and users should update their devices to the specified versions. Users are encouraged to follow Apple's security announcements and apply the necessary updates to protect their devices from potential threats.

Timeline

Published on: 01/27/2025 22:15:12 UTC
Last modified on: 03/03/2025 22:45:38 UTC