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7.2

Apple Mac OS X <10.5.6 lets local users become admin

CVE-2008-4218 · published 17 years ago
Summary

Versions of Apple Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server older than 10.5.6 on Intel computers have a coding mistake that can be triggered by a specially crafted program. A user who can run code on the machine could use this mistake to raise their privileges and act as an administrator. Install the Apple update that brings the system to version 10.5.6 or later to close the issue.

What to do

The CVE record does not list a fixed version. Check the vendor's site or the advisory links below - a fix may already be released.

Affected software
VendorProductAffected versions
apple mac_os_x <= 10.5.5
10.5
10.5.1
10.5.2
10.5.3
10.5.4
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
apple mac_os_x_server <= 10.5.5
10.5
10.5.1
10.5.2
10.5.3
10.5.4
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Original advisory text
Multiple integer overflows in the kernel in Apple Mac OS X before 10.5.6 on Intel platforms allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted call to (1) i386_set_ldt or (2) i386_get_ldt.
Multiple integer overflows in the kernel in Apple Mac OS X before 10.5.6 on Intel platforms allow local users to gain privileges via a crafted call to (1) i386_set_ldt or (2) i386_get_ldt.
References
Fix within
Internet-facing 14 days
Internal At next upgrade
  • Not known to be exploited
  • Needs hands-on effort to exploit (estimated)
  • Gives an attacker full control (estimated)
Severity
7.2 High
Exploitation
<1% chance of attack within 30 days
Type
CWE-189Numeric Errors
Timeline
Published17 Dec 2008
Updated4 Nov 2026
First seen29 Sep 2026
Sources
CVE-2008-4218 · NVD
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