CVE-2012-3754 in QuickTime
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the Clear method in the ActiveX control in Apple QuickTime before 7.7.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3754 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within Apple QuickTime's ActiveX control implementation, specifically affecting the Clear method functionality. This security defect exists in QuickTime versions prior to 7.7.3 and demonstrates a fundamental memory management error that can be exploited by remote attackers to gain unauthorized system access or disrupt service availability. The vulnerability's classification as a use-after-free indicates that the application attempts to access memory that has already been freed, creating potential execution paths for malicious code injection.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within the ActiveX control's Clear method, which is part of QuickTime's broader multimedia framework. When processing certain input data through the ActiveX interface, the application fails to properly validate or manage memory references, leading to situations where freed memory blocks are accessed by subsequent operations. This memory management failure creates an exploitable condition that can be triggered through remote network access, making it particularly dangerous for web-based attack scenarios where users might unknowingly interact with malicious QuickTime content.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise and individual users who rely on QuickTime for multimedia content playback. Attackers can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems, potentially gaining full system control or establishing persistent backdoors. The vulnerability also enables denial of service conditions where legitimate applications may crash or become unresponsive, disrupting normal business operations. Given QuickTime's widespread adoption across various platforms and applications, the potential attack surface is extensive, particularly in environments where users frequently access web content or multimedia files from untrusted sources.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software applications, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and control through ActiveX components. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including mandatory updates to QuickTime version 7.7.3 or later, network segmentation to limit ActiveX control access, and enhanced monitoring for suspicious memory access patterns. Additionally, administrators should consider disabling ActiveX controls in browser environments where they are not strictly required, and deploy endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting anomalous memory access behaviors associated with use-after-free exploitation attempts.