CVE-2012-0664 in QuickTime
Summary
by MITRE
Heap-based buffer overflow in Apple QuickTime before 7.7.2 on Windows allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted text track in a movie file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0664 represents a critical heap-based buffer overflow flaw in Apple QuickTime software versions prior to 7.7.2 on Windows operating systems. This vulnerability resides within the multimedia handling capabilities of QuickTime, specifically in how the software processes text tracks within movie files. The flaw manifests when QuickTime attempts to parse and render text content embedded within video files, creating a dangerous condition where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent memory locations in the heap allocation space. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a heap-based buffer overflow, which occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of a heap-allocated buffer, potentially corrupting adjacent memory structures and enabling arbitrary code execution.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to craft a malicious movie file containing a specially formatted text track that triggers the buffer overflow during playback. When a vulnerable QuickTime player processes such a file, the software's text rendering engine fails to properly validate the length of text data before copying it into a fixed-size buffer allocated on the heap. This validation failure allows attackers to overwrite critical memory locations including return addresses, function pointers, or other control structures within the application's memory space. The attack vector is entirely remote, meaning users can be compromised simply by opening or previewing the malicious file, making it particularly dangerous for email attachments, web downloads, or file sharing scenarios. The vulnerability can result in either arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running QuickTime or a denial of service condition causing the application to crash and terminate unexpectedly.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-0664 extends beyond simple application instability, as it provides attackers with a pathway to achieve persistent system compromise. When successful, the heap corruption can be leveraged to redirect program execution flow, potentially allowing attackers to inject and execute malicious code within the context of the QuickTime process. This capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Windows systems where QuickTime is installed, making it particularly attractive to threat actors targeting enterprise environments where multimedia applications are commonly used for presentations, training materials, and communication. The lack of input validation in the text track processing component creates an attack surface that can be exploited without requiring user interaction beyond opening the malicious file, making it a prime candidate for automated exploitation campaigns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0664 primarily focus on immediate remediation through software updates, as Apple released QuickTime 7.7.2 to address this vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all systems running QuickTime are updated to the latest secure version. Additional defensive measures include restricting user permissions when handling multimedia files, implementing application whitelisting policies that prevent execution of untrusted QuickTime files, and deploying network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malicious QuickTime content. Security configurations should enforce strict file validation procedures and disable unnecessary QuickTime functionality that might process untrusted content. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper memory management practices and input validation in multimedia processing libraries, as outlined in security guidelines from the Open Web Application Security Project and other cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing multimedia-based attack vectors.