Network Security, Patch/Configuration Management, Vulnerability Management

Apple fixes memory corruption vulnerability in AirPort product line

Addressing a vulnerability that could have potentially resulted in remote code execution, Apple yesterday announced a firmware update for several of its AirPort Wi-Fi products.

According to an Apple mailing list notification, firmware updates 7.6.7 and 7.7.7 have been applied to AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations using the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard, as well as AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations with the 802.11ac standard and using AirPort Utility for Mac or iOS.

Apple described the vulnerability – officially designated as CVE-2015-7029 – as a memory corruption issue existing in the DNS data parsing process. “This issue was addressed through improved bounds checking,” the notification explained.

Sophos senior security advisor Paul Ducklin wrote in a Naked Security article that the bug – originally discovered nine months ago – is probably exploitable “by feeding malformed replies to an AirPort that makes outbound DNS requests on behalf of the devices on its internal network.”

Bradley Barth

As director of community content at CyberRisk Alliance, Bradley Barth develops content for SC Media online conferences and events, as well as video/multimedia projects. For nearly six years, he wrote and reported for SC Media as deputy editor and, before that, senior reporter. He was previously a program executive with the tech-focused PR firm Voxus. Past journalistic experience includes stints as business editor at Executive Technology, a staff writer at New York Sportscene and a freelance journalist covering travel and entertainment. In his spare time, Bradley also writes screenplays.

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