CVE-2008-3627 in QuickTime
Summary
by MITRE
Apple QuickTime before 7.5.5 does not properly handle (1) MDAT atoms in MP4 video files within QuickTimeH264.qtx, (2) MDAT atoms in mov video files within QuickTimeH264.scalar, and (3) AVC1 atoms in an unknown media type within an unspecified component, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (heap corruption and application crash) via a crafted, H.264 encoded movie file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/16/2019
This vulnerability resides in Apple QuickTime's handling of multimedia file structures, specifically targeting the improper processing of MDAT and AVC1 atoms within H.264 encoded video files. The flaw affects QuickTime versions prior to 7.5.5 and represents a classic heap-based buffer overflow condition that can be exploited through carefully crafted MP4 and mov video files. The vulnerability manifests when the media framework processes these specific atom structures without proper bounds checking, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for remote code execution or system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the QuickTime media processing engine, particularly in how it handles the MDAT (media data) atom structure that contains the actual video frames in MP4 containers. When processing H.264 encoded content, the application fails to properly validate the size and structure of these atoms before attempting to copy data into internal buffers. This allows attackers to craft malicious video files where the atom size fields contain values that exceed the allocated buffer space, resulting in heap corruption. The vulnerability also affects the AVC1 atom handling within scalar components, indicating a broader issue in how the application processes H.264 media type structures across different QuickTime components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service to include full remote code execution capabilities, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may unknowingly open malicious media files. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites hosting crafted video content. The heap corruption resulting from improper atom handling can lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running QuickTime, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or establish persistent access. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, and T1059, Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can execute arbitrary commands through the compromised application.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected QuickTime versions to 7.5.5 or later, which includes proper bounds checking and memory management for atom processing. Organizations should implement network-based protections such as content filtering and sandboxing of multimedia file handling to prevent automatic execution of potentially malicious media files. Additionally, user education regarding the risks of opening unknown video files and disabling QuickTime plugin support in web browsers can significantly reduce exploitation success rates. System administrators should monitor for any exploitation attempts and consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of unauthorized QuickTime components, particularly in high-security environments where the risk of compromise is elevated.