CVE-2014-4397
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedAn unspecified integrated graphics driver routine in the Intel Graphics Driver subsystem in Apple OS X before 10.9.5 does not properly validate calls, which allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in a privileged context via a crafted application, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-4394, CVE-2014-4395, CVE-2014-4396, CVE-2014-4398, CVE-2014-4399, CVE-2014-4400, CVE-2014-4401, and CVE-2014-4416.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThis vulnerability in the Intel Graphics Driver subsystem in Apple OS X versions prior to 10.9.5 involves improper validation of calls in an integrated graphics driver routine. Attackers can exploit this by crafting a malicious application that executes arbitrary code in a privileged (kernel) context, potentially gaining full system control.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 10.8.5= 10.9= 10.9.1= 10.9.2= 10.9.3= 10.9.4CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check the installed OS X versionClick the Apple menu, select 'About This Mac', and note the version number displayed under the Apple logo. Alternatively, run 'sw_vers' in Terminal.Affected if The version is 10.8.5, 10.9, 10.9.1, 10.9.2, 10.9.3, or 10.9.4 (versions prior to 10.9.5)
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Confirm the system uses Intel integrated graphicsIn 'About This Mac', click 'More Info' then 'Graphics/Displays' to identify the graphics hardware. Look for Intel integrated graphics controllers such as Intel HD Graphics, Intel Iris, or Intel HD 4000/5000 series.Affected if The system has Intel integrated graphics processors (the vulnerability exists in the Intel Graphics Driver)
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Verify the kernel patch state (optional)Run 'system_profiler SPSoftwareDataType' in Terminal to get detailed system information including the kernel version and security updates applied.Affected if The system shows no security update 2014-004 or later applied to OS X 10.9.x (this update contains the fix)
A system is affected if it runs OS X 10.8.5 or any version of OS X 10.9 through 10.9.4 and contains Intel integrated graphics hardware.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade to OS X 10.9.5 or later which contains the patched graphics driver. Until patched, restrict execution of untrusted applications and monitor for suspicious graphics-related processes.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-4397 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-4397 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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