CVE-2006-4965 in QuickTime
Summary
by MITRE
Apple QuickTime 7.1.3 Player and Plug-In allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code and possibly conduct other attacks via a QuickTime Media Link (QTL) file with an embed XML element and a qtnext parameter that identifies resources outside of the original domain. NOTE: as of 20070912, this issue has been demonstrated by using instances of Components.interfaces.nsILocalFile and Components.interfaces.nsIProcess to execute arbitrary local files within Firefox and possibly Internet Explorer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/13/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-4965 represents a critical cross-site scripting and code execution flaw in Apple QuickTime 7.1.3 Player and Plug-In components. This security issue stems from improper handling of QuickTime Media Link files that contain embedded XML elements with qtnext parameters. The flaw allows remote attackers to craft malicious QTL files that can execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the context of the victim's browser, effectively bypassing standard security restrictions that typically prevent cross-domain resource access.
The technical exploitation mechanism leverages the XML parsing capabilities within QuickTime's handling of media links, where the qtnext parameter can reference external resources beyond the original domain boundary. This creates a path for attackers to inject malicious code that gets executed when the QTL file is processed by the QuickTime plugin. The vulnerability specifically enables the use of Firefox's Components.interfaces.nsILocalFile and Components.interfaces.nsIProcess interfaces, which provide powerful file system and process execution capabilities that are normally restricted in web browser environments.
This vulnerability has significant operational impact as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary local files on the victim's system with the privileges of the browser process. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it can be delivered through web pages or email attachments that users might legitimately visit or open. The exploitation chain can potentially lead to complete system compromise, as the injected JavaScript code can leverage the browser's component interfaces to access local file systems, execute arbitrary programs, and perform actions that would normally be blocked by security restrictions. The vulnerability affects multiple browsers including Firefox and Internet Explorer, making it particularly widespread in scope.
The flaw demonstrates a classic case of insecure object deserialization and cross-domain resource handling, which aligns with CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) and CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting). From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) techniques, as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target system. The vulnerability also represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where the QuickTime plugin unnecessarily grants access to system resources that should be restricted to the browser's security sandbox. Organizations should implement strict content filtering policies, disable QuickTime plugin execution in browsers, and ensure regular updates to prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities that could enable more sophisticated attacks.