In this talk, we will show you how to overcome these challenges and perform effective patch diffing on *OS platforms in 2024. We will demonstrate how to use open-source reverse engineering tools (such as ipsw and Ghidra) to extract and analyze IPSW files, which contain the software updates for iOS and MacOS. We will also show you how to find the updated binaries, extract embedded binaries from the DSC, and how to use freely available binary diffing tools to compare them. Finally, we will walk you through several real-world examples of patch diffing on *OS, and how to map the binary changes to recent CVEs. From there we will identify and reverse engineer the underlying vulnerabilities for several CVEs. This talk will not only teach you the skills and tools for patch diffing on modern *OS platforms, but also inspire you to explore the untapped potential of this technique for discovering new vulnerabilities and understanding the Apple security ecosystem. It is perfect for those new to Apple research looking for guardrails or experienced researchers seeking ideas for new attack surface. Join us to discover what makes patch diffing on *OS different and challenging, and how to overcome these obstacles with open-source tools and methods. OBTS v7
- Slides for OBTSv7 - Patch Different on *OS slides
- High Level Diffing on *OS
- Apple Security Updates
- Diffing IPSW
- Diffing *OS Binaries
- Root Causing CVEs
