CVE-2006-4382 in QuickTime
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in Apple QuickTime before 7.1.3 allow user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted QuickTime movie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-4382 represents a critical security flaw in Apple QuickTime media player software prior to version 7.1.3. This issue stems from multiple buffer overflow conditions that occur when processing specially crafted QuickTime movie files, creating a significant attack surface for remote threat actors. The vulnerability specifically affects the media processing components of QuickTime, which are responsible for parsing and rendering various multimedia formats including video and audio streams. These buffer overflows manifest when the application fails to properly validate input data length during the parsing of QuickTime movie files, allowing malicious actors to craft specially formatted media content that triggers memory corruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper bounds checking within QuickTime's movie file parser, where the software does not adequately verify the size of incoming data structures before copying them into fixed-size buffers. This fundamental flaw enables attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the affected user. The buffer overflow conditions are particularly dangerous because they can be triggered through user-assisted remote attacks, meaning that an attacker can deliver malicious QuickTime content through various vectors including web pages, email attachments, or file sharing networks. The vulnerability affects the core multimedia processing libraries that QuickTime uses to handle different movie formats, making it particularly impactful given the widespread use of QuickTime across various platforms and applications.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a substantial risk to organizations and individual users who rely on QuickTime for media playback. The remote execution capability means that attackers can exploit this vulnerability without requiring physical access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may unknowingly encounter malicious QuickTime content. The impact extends beyond simple code execution to potentially allow attackers to escalate privileges, install malware, or establish persistent access to compromised systems. The vulnerability's widespread presence in older QuickTime versions makes it particularly attractive to attackers who can leverage it for mass exploitation campaigns. Organizations using QuickTime for multimedia content distribution, web publishing, or media processing are especially vulnerable, as the attack vector can be easily delivered through standard web browsing or email interactions.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-4382 primarily focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by Apple. Users and organizations should immediately upgrade to QuickTime 7.1.3 or later versions that contain the necessary security fixes addressing the buffer overflow conditions. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing content filtering measures to block or scan QuickTime movie files from untrusted sources. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and also relates to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for execution through scripting languages, though in this case the execution occurs through media processing rather than traditional scripting. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to restrict the execution of QuickTime on systems where it is not required, reducing the attack surface. Security monitoring should include detection of suspicious QuickTime file access patterns and unusual network activity related to media file downloads or streaming. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in multimedia processing applications, highlighting how seemingly benign media handling can become a critical security concern when proper bounds checking is not implemented.