Apple Releases macOS Sierra 10.12.2 and More with Security Fixes
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Jay Vrijenhoek
In the last 48 hours, Apple released updates to all of its current operating systems, El Capitan, Yosemite and Safari. Details about yesterday’s updates for for iOS, watchOS and tvOS can be found in this article.
Below you’ll find everything you need to about the security flaws patched in macOS Sierra 10.12.2 and where to install the software updates.
macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Listed as an update that improves stability, compatibility and performance, macOS Sierra 10.12.2 addresses the following:
- Improves setup and reliability of Auto Unlock
- Allows addition of a Chinese Trackpad Handwriting button to the Touch Bar Control Strip
- Adds support for taking screenshots of the Touch Bar using the Grab app or Cmd-Shift-6 shortcut
- Fixes an issue that caused the Touch Bar emoji picker to appear on the display
- Resolves graphics issues on MacBook Pro (October 2016) computers
- Fixes an issue where System Integrity Protection was disabled on some MacBook Pro (October 2016) computers
- Improves setup and opt-out experience for iCloud Desktop and Documents
- Fixes an issue with the delivery of Optimized Storage alerts
- Improves audio quality when using Siri and FaceTime with Bluetooth headphones
- Improves the stability of Photos when creating and ordering books
- Fixes an issue where incoming Mail messages did not appear when using a Microsoft Exchange account
- Fixes an issue that prevented installation of Safari Extensions downloaded outside the Safari Extensions Gallery
- Adds support for new installations of Windows 8 and Windows 7 using Boot Camp on supported Macs
The graphics issues this update resolves are a big deal for many MacBook Pro owners who recently purchases the new model (October 2016). Divulged by Ben Lovejoy at 9to5Mac, some Mac users are reporting “a variety of different issues, ranging from random red or black bars to unrecoverable crashes.” That alone makes this update worthwhile!
Another big item on the list is the fix for the issue that found System Integrity Protection (SIP) disabled on some of the new Touch Bar MacBook Pro’s. Early last month, writing for MacRumors Juli Clover confirmed the issue, noting, “System Integrity Protection is indeed disabled out of the box on a number of 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, including one machine owned by MacRumors.” Fortunately, clarified, “Not all MacBook Pro models are affected.”
There is, of course, a big list of security related fixes that Apple does not mention in its App Store description, but not to worry, we got ’em for you! A total of 72 security issues were addressed, which makes the list quite long.
Sierra 10.12.2 security highlights:
OpenLDAP – Support for the cryptographic algorithm RC4 was removed as default cipher. RC4 has long been considered to be a weak cipher that can be exploited in various ways. Apple removed RC4 as a supported cipher in OS X Server 5.1 back in March because of the security risks. To be frank, I’m glad they finally got around to addressing this in macOS, though the wording that’s used means RC4 is still supported, not removed completely.
OpenSSL – Used by applications to create a secure network connection, OpenSSL was found to be vulnerable to arbitrary code execution and denial of service if certain conditions were met. These issues were addressed through improved memory handling and improved input validation.
Click here to see the full list of macOS Sierra 10.12.2 security fixesAvailable for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A remote attacker may cause an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
Description: Multiple issues existed in PHP before 5.6.26. These were addressed by updating PHP to version 5.6.26.
CVE-2016-7411
CVE-2016-7412
CVE-2016-7413
CVE-2016-7414
CVE-2016-7416
CVE-2016-7417
CVE-2016-7418
AppleGraphicsPowerManagement
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to cause a system denial of service
Description: A null pointer dereference was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7609: daybreaker@Minionz working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
Assets
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local attacker may modify downloaded mobile assets
Description: A permissions issue existed in mobile assets. This issue was addressed through improved access restrictions.
CVE-2016-7628: an anonymous researcher
Audio
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7658: Haohao Kong of Keen Lab (@keen_lab) of Tencent
CVE-2016-7659: Haohao Kong of Keen Lab (@keen_lab) of Tencent
Bluetooth
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and OS X Yosemite v10.10.5
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-7596: Pekka Oikarainen, Matias Karhumaa and Marko Laakso of Synopsys Software Integrity Group
Bluetooth
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An application may be able to cause a denial of service
Description: A null pointer dereference was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7605: daybreaker of Minionz
Bluetooth
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with system privileges
Description: A type confusion issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-7617: Radu Motspan working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative, Ian Beer of Google Project Zero
CoreCapture
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1 and OS X El Capitan v10.11.6
Impact: A local user may be able to cause a system denial of service
Description: A null pointer dereference was addressed through improved state management.
CVE-2016-7604: daybreaker of Minionz
CoreFoundation
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Processing malicious strings may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue existed in the processing of strings. This issue was addressed through improved bounds checking.
CVE-2016-7663: an anonymous researcher
CoreGraphics
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted font file may lead to unexpected application termination
Description: A null pointer dereference was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7627: TRAPMINE Inc. & Meysam Firouzi @R00tkitSMM
CoreMedia External Displays
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local application may be able to execute arbitrary code in the context of the mediaserver daemon
Description: A type confusion issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-7655: Keen Lab working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
CoreMedia Playback
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted .mp4 file may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-7588: dragonltx of Huawei 2012 Laboratories
CoreStorage
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to cause a system denial of service
Description: A null pointer dereference was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7603: daybreaker@Minionz working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
CoreText
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted font file may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: Multiple memory corruption issues existed in the handling of font files. These issues were addressed through improved bounds checking.
CVE-2016-7595: riusksk(泉哥) of Tencent Security Platform Department
curl
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to leak sensitive user information
Description: Multiple issues existed in curl. These issues were addressed by updating to curl version 7.51.0.
CVE-2016-5419
CVE-2016-5420
CVE-2016-5421
CVE-2016-7141
CVE-2016-7167
CVE-2016-8615
CVE-2016-8616
CVE-2016-8617
CVE-2016-8618
CVE-2016-8619
CVE-2016-8620
CVE-2016-8621
CVE-2016-8622
CVE-2016-8623
CVE-2016-8624
CVE-2016-8625
Directory Services
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to gain root privileges
Description: A use after free issue was addressed through improved memory management.
CVE-2016-7633: Ian Beer of Google Project Zero
Disk Images
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7616: daybreaker@Minionz working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
FontParser
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted font file may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: Multiple memory corruption issues existed in the handling of font files. These issues were addressed through improved bounds checking.
CVE-2016-4691: riusksk(泉哥) of Tencent Security Platform Department
FontParser
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted font file may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: A buffer overflow existed in the handling of font files. This issue was addressed through improved bounds checking.
CVE-2016-4688: Simon Huang of Alipay company, [email protected]
Foundation
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Opening a maliciously crafted .gcx file may lead to unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7618: riusksk(泉哥) of Tencent Security Platform Department
Grapher
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Opening a maliciously crafted .gcx file may lead to unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7622: riusksk(泉哥) of Tencent Security Platform Department
ICU
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-7594: André Bargull
ImageIO
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A remote attacker may be able to leak memory
Description: An out-of-bounds read was addressed through improved bounds checking.
CVE-2016-7643: Yangkang (@dnpushme) of Qihoo360 Qex Team
Intel Graphics Driver
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7602: daybreaker@Minionz working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
IOFireWireFamily
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local attacker may be able to read kernel memory
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-7608: Brandon Azad
IOAcceleratorFamily
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to determine kernel memory layout
Description: A shared memory issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-7624 : Qidan He (@flanker_hqd) from KeenLab working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
IOHIDFamily
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-1823: Ian Beer of Google Project Zero
IOHIDFamily
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local application with system privileges may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A use after free issue was addressed through improved memory management.
CVE-2016-7591: daybreaker of Minionz
IOKit
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An application may be able to read kernel memory
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7657: Keen Lab working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
IOKit
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to determine kernel memory layout
Description: A shared memory issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-7625: Qidan He (@flanker_hqd) from KeenLab working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
IOSurface
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to determine kernel memory layout
Description: A shared memory issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-7620: Qidan He (@flanker_hqd) from KeenLab working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
Kernel
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: Multiple memory corruption issues were addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7606: @cocoahuke, Chen Qin of Topsec Alpha Team (topsec.com)
CVE-2016-7612: Ian Beer of Google Project Zero
Kernel
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An application may be able to read kernel memory
Description: An insufficient initialization issue was addressed by properly initializing memory returned to user space.
CVE-2016-7607: Brandon Azad
Kernel
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to cause a system denial of service
Description: A denial of service issue was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-7615: The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
Kernel
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to cause an unexpected system termination or arbitrary code execution in the kernel
Description: A use after free issue was addressed through improved memory management.
CVE-2016-7621: Ian Beer of Google Project Zero
Kernel
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to gain root privileges
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7637: Ian Beer of Google Project Zero
Kernel
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local application with system privileges may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A use after free issue was addressed through improved memory management.
CVE-2016-7644: Ian Beer of Google Project Zero
kext tools
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-7629: @cocoahuke
libarchive
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local attacker may be able to overwrite existing files
Description: A validation issue existed in the handling of symlinks. This issue was addressed through improved validation of symlinks.
CVE-2016-7619: an anonymous researcher
LibreSSL
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1 and OS X El Capitan v10.11.6
Impact: An attacker with a privileged network position may be able to cause a denial of service
Description: A denial of service issue in unbounded OCSP growth was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-6304
OpenLDAP
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An attacker may be able to exploit weaknesses in the RC4 cryptographic algorithm
Description: RC4 was removed as a default cipher.
CVE-2016-1777: Pepi Zawodsky
OpenPAM
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local unprivileged user may gain access to privileged applications
Description: PAM authentication within sandboxed applications failed insecurely. This was addressed with improved error handling.
CVE-2016-7600: Perette Barella of DeviousFish.com
OpenSSL
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code
Description: An overflow issue existed in MDC2_Update(). This issue was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-6303
OpenSSL
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An attacker with a privileged network position may be able to cause a denial of service
Description: A denial of service issue in unbounded OCSP growth was addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-6304
Power Management
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to gain root privileges
Description: An issue in mach port name references was addressed through improved validation.
CVE-2016-7661: Ian Beer of Google Project Zero
Security
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An attacker may be able to exploit weaknesses in the 3DES cryptographic algorithm
Description: 3DES was removed as a default cipher.
CVE-2016-4693: Gaëtan Leurent and Karthikeyan Bhargavan from INRIA Paris
Security
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: An attacker in a privileged network position may be able to cause a denial of service
Description: A validation issue existed in the handling of OCSP responder URLs. This issue was addressed by verifying OCSP revocation status after CA validation and limiting the number of OCSP requests per certificate.
CVE-2016-7636: Maksymilian Arciemowicz (cxsecurity.com)
Security
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: Certificates may be unexpectedly evaluated as trusted
Description: A certificate evaluation issue existed in certificate validation. This issue was addressed through additional validation of certificates.
CVE-2016-7662: Apple
syslog
Available for: macOS Sierra 10.12.1
Impact: A local user may be able to gain root privileges
Description: An issue in mach port name references was addressed through improved validation.
CVE-2016-7660: Ian Beer of Google Project Zero
macOS Sierra 10.12.2 includes the security content of Safari 10.0.2.
Something that may be of interest to laptop users is the fact Apple removed the “Time Remaining” battery life indicator. Via Juli Clover at MacRumors:
Apple believes that the battery life indicator in macOS Sierra is ultimately inaccurate and has led to some confusion about battery performance, and so it has been removed in macOS Sierra 10.12.2.
The update can be downloaded by going to the App Store > Updates tab, as a stand-alone update here or a combo update here.
Safari 10.0.2
Safari 10.0.2 is available for OS X Yosemite 10.10.5, OS X El Capitan 10.11.6, and (included in) macOS Sierra 10.12.2. Listed as an update that contains bug fixes and improves security, it addresses the following:
- Fixes an issue where a website could repeatedly attempt to launch other websites or applications
- Fixes an issue that prevented installation of Safari Extensions downloaded from outside the Safari Extensions Gallery
- Fixes an issue that caused the Share button to be disabled on some webpages
- Fixes an issue where the contents of a tab remained onscreen after clicking a link to open a new tab
This update also addressed 24 security issues (23 of them related to WebKit and 1 for Safari Reader).
See the full list of Safari 10.0.2 security fixesAvailable for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: Multiple memory corruption issues were addressed through improved memory handling.
CVE-2016-4692: Apple
CVE-2016-7635: Apple
CVE-2016-7652: Apple
WebKit
Available for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may result in the disclosure of process memory
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved state management.
CVE-2016-7656: Keen Lab working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
WebKit
Available for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may result in the disclosure of process memory
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved input validation.
CVE-2016-4743: Alan Cutter
WebKit
Available for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may result in the disclosure of user information
Description: A validation issue was addressed through improved state management.
CVE-2016-7586: Boris Zbarsky
WebKit
Available for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: Multiple memory corruption issues were addressed through improved state management.
CVE-2016-7587: Adam Klein
CVE-2016-7610: Zheng Huang of the Baidu Security Lab working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
CVE-2016-7611: an anonymous researcher working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
CVE-2016-7639: Tongbo Luo of Palo Alto Networks
CVE-2016-7640: Kai Kang of Tencent’s Xuanwu Lab (tencent.com)
CVE-2016-7641: Kai Kang of Tencent’s Xuanwu Lab (tencent.com)
CVE-2016-7642: Tongbo Luo of Palo Alto Networks
CVE-2016-7645: Kai Kang of Tencent’s Xuanwu Lab (tencent.com)
CVE-2016-7646: Kai Kang of Tencent’s Xuanwu Lab (tencent.com)
CVE-2016-7648: Kai Kang of Tencent’s Xuanwu Lab (tencent.com)
CVE-2016-7649: Kai Kang of Tencent’s Xuanwu Lab (tencent.com)
CVE-2016-7654: Keen Lab working with Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative
WebKit
Available for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved state management.
CVE-2016-7589: Apple
WebKit
Available for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may compromise user information
Description: An issue existed in handling of JavaScript prompts. This was addressed through improved state management.
CVE-2016-7592: xisigr of Tencent’s Xuanwu Lab (tencent.com)
WebKit
Available for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may result in the disclosure of process memory
Description: An uninitialized memory access issue was addressed through improved memory initialization.
CVE-2016-7598: Samuel Groß
WebKit
Available for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may result in the disclosure of user information
Description: An issue existed in the handling of HTTP redirects. This issue was addressed through improved cross origin validation.
CVE-2016-7599: Muneaki Nishimura (nishimunea) of Recruit Technologies Co., Ltd.
WebKit
Available for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted webpage may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed through improved state management.
CVE-2016-7632: Jeonghoon Shin
Safari Reader
Available for: OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, OS X El Capitan v10.11.6, and macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Impact: Enabling the Safari Reader feature on a maliciously crafted webpage may lead to universal cross site scripting
Description: Multiple validation issues were addressed through improved input sanitization.
CVE-2016-7650: Erling Ellingsen
The update can be downloaded by going to the App Store > Updates tab. It will be visible for Yosemite and El Capitan users as an available update, but if current Sierra users want it they will have to install the before mentioned 10.12.2 update, which includes the Safari security fixes.
Security Update 2016-003 10.11.6
OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan users can grab Security Update 2016-003 10.11.6 as of today, along with the Safari 10.0.2 update. While not all details are available yet, the App Store update is listed as “recommended for all users and improves the security of OS X.” When more details and a direct download link are available, we will post them here. The updates can otherwise be downloaded by going to the App Store > Updates tab.
Security Update 2016-007 10.10.5
OS X 10.10.5 Yosemite users received the same Safari 10.0.2 update today, included in Security Update 2016-007 10.10.5, an update specifically tailored for that operating system. As with the El Capitan security update, no details are available yet and the App Store only mentions, “Security Update 2016-007 is recommended for all users and improves the security of OS X.” When more details are available, we will post them here. The update can be downloaded by going to the App Store > Updates tab or as a direct download here.
While details for the El Capitan and Yosemite updates are currently not available, it is recommended to install the updates. More than likely they address vulnerabilities that are also found in the 10.12.2 Sierra update, and with those details now out there, the chances of those vulnerabilities getting exploited have increased.
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