CVE-2014-1375

Vulnerability

The Intel Graphics Driver in Apple OS X Mavericks before version 10.9.4 contains a vulnerability that allows local users to read a kernel pointer stored in an IOKit object. This pointer can be leveraged to bypass the Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) protection mechanism. The vulnerability affects systems running OS X Mavericks 10.9 through 10.9.3.

Exploitation

An attacker with local access to the system can exploit this vulnerability by reading the kernel pointer from the IOKit object. No special privileges or user interaction are required beyond having a local account. The attacker can then use the leaked pointer to calculate the base addresses of kernel components, effectively defeating ASLR.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to bypass ASLR, a key security mitigation that randomizes memory addresses. This significantly weakens the system's defense against other exploits, making it easier for the attacker to execute arbitrary code with kernel-level privileges. The confidentiality of kernel memory layout is compromised.

Mitigation

Apple addressed this issue in OS X Mavericks v10.9.4, released on July 1, 2014. Users should update to this version or later via Software Update or the Apple Support website [1]. No workarounds are documented. The vulnerability is not known to be listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.