CVE-2012-3752 in QuickTime
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in Apple QuickTime before 7.7.3 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted style element in a QuickTime TeXML file.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3752 represents a critical security flaw in Apple QuickTime media player software affecting versions prior to 7.7.3. This vulnerability falls under the category of buffer overflow conditions that can be exploited remotely to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service attacks. The specific weakness occurs within the processing of TeXML files, which are used for styling and formatting in QuickTime multimedia content. These files contain structured data that describes how multimedia elements should be presented within QuickTime applications, making them a potential attack vector for malicious actors seeking to compromise systems running vulnerable versions of the software.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking during the parsing of style elements within TeXML files. When QuickTime processes these files, it fails to adequately validate the size and structure of the style data, allowing attackers to craft malicious TeXML content that exceeds allocated buffer space. This buffer overflow condition creates memory corruption that can be leveraged by remote attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations with malicious code. The vulnerability specifically affects the QuickTime player's handling of crafted style elements, where the application does not properly sanitize input data before processing it, leading to unpredictable behavior that can be exploited for code execution. This flaw demonstrates a classic buffer overflow pattern that aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-3752 extends beyond simple application crashes to represent a serious threat to system security and stability. Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running QuickTime, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered through legitimate media content that users might encounter while browsing the web or opening email attachments containing QuickTime media files. This makes it an attractive target for social engineering attacks where malicious actors could embed crafted TeXML files in seemingly benign multimedia content, leading to automated exploitation when users play such content. The denial of service component of this vulnerability can also be used to disrupt services or create persistent availability issues in environments where QuickTime is actively used for media playback.
Organizations and users must implement immediate remediation measures to address this vulnerability, primarily by updating to Apple QuickTime version 7.7.3 or later, which contains patches specifically designed to address the buffer overflow conditions in TeXML file processing. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and content filtering measures to prevent users from accessing potentially malicious TeXML files through web browsers or email clients. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual QuickTime processing patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while endpoint protection solutions should be configured to scan for known malicious TeXML file patterns. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of input validation and proper bounds checking in multimedia processing applications, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for legitimate user execution and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage patterns that might occur during exploitation attempts.
This vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing challenges in securing multimedia frameworks and the critical importance of proper memory management in media processing software. The issue represents a fundamental flaw in how QuickTime handled structured data input, emphasizing the need for robust input validation and sanitization practices in all multimedia and media processing components. Organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as application whitelisting, sandboxing mechanisms, and regular security assessments of multimedia processing applications to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in their environments. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of timely patch management and security updates, as the exploitation of such flaws can occur rapidly once they are publicly disclosed, making prompt remediation essential for maintaining system security posture.