CVE-2009-0010 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Integer underflow in QuickDraw Manager in Apple Mac OS X 10.4.11 and 10.5 before 10.5.7, and Apple QuickTime before 7.6.2, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via a PICT image with a crafted 0x77 Poly tag and a crafted length field, which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-0010 represents a critical integer underflow condition within the QuickDraw Manager component of Apple Mac OS X operating systems and the QuickTime multimedia framework. This flaw affects versions 10.4.11 and 10.5 prior to 10.5.7, along with QuickTime versions before 7.6.2, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited remotely by malicious actors. The vulnerability manifests specifically when processing PICT image format files containing specially crafted 0x77 Poly tags with manipulated length fields, demonstrating a classic software implementation flaw that has been documented under CWE-191 as integer underflow.
The technical mechanism of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of unsigned integer arithmetic within the QuickDraw Manager's image parsing routine. When a PICT file contains a 0x77 Poly tag with a crafted length field, the system performs an integer underflow operation that results in a negative value being interpreted as a large positive number. This misinterpretation causes the application to allocate insufficient memory for buffer operations, subsequently leading to a heap-based buffer overflow condition. The buffer overflow occurs because the system attempts to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries, creating a situation where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially including return addresses and function pointers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass full arbitrary code execution capabilities. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw to compromise vulnerable systems by crafting malicious PICT images that trigger the exploitable condition when opened by affected applications. The vulnerability affects multiple Apple products including the Mac OS X operating system and QuickTime multimedia framework, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through various attack vectors such as email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites. The heap-based buffer overflow creates an ideal environment for exploitation since heap memory corruption allows attackers to manipulate program execution flow and potentially gain elevated privileges on the compromised system.
This vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1059 for command and script interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. The integer underflow condition represents a software flaw that directly maps to CWE-191, which specifically addresses integer underflow scenarios in software implementations. The exploitation process requires precise control over memory layout and can be amplified through various attack vectors that leverage the widespread use of PICT image formats in multimedia applications. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant security patches provided by Apple, disabling automatic opening of PICT files, and implementing network-based protections such as content filtering to prevent malicious PICT files from reaching end-user systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and integer arithmetic handling in preventing heap-based buffer overflow conditions that can lead to complete system compromise.