CVE-2013-1016 in QuickTime
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in Apple QuickTime before 7.7.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted movie file with H.263 encoding.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1016 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within Apple QuickTime media player software affecting versions prior to 7.7.4. This security weakness resides in the handling of H.263 encoded video files, which are commonly used in multimedia applications and web streaming scenarios. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate the application's memory management through specially crafted movie files that contain malformed H.263 encoding data. Such exploitation can result in arbitrary code execution on the target system or cause the application to crash, leading to denial of service conditions that disrupt legitimate user access to multimedia content. The vulnerability specifically impacts the video decoding process where insufficient bounds checking occurs during the parsing of H.263 encoded streams, allowing attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations with malicious data.
This buffer overflow vulnerability maps to CWE-121, which describes the classic stack-based buffer overflow condition where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to write beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The technical implementation flaw occurs within the QuickTime media framework's H.263 decoder component, where the application fails to properly validate the size and structure of incoming video data before attempting to process it. The attack vector requires a remote malicious actor to deliver a crafted movie file containing specially constructed H.263 encoded data that triggers the overflow condition when the media player attempts to decode and render the content. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1203, where adversaries leverage application-level vulnerabilities to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability through crafted input data manipulation.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-1016 extends beyond simple application crashes, as successful exploitation can enable full system compromise through arbitrary code execution. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to install malware, establish persistent backdoors, or escalate privileges within the compromised system environment. The vulnerability affects both desktop and mobile platforms where QuickTime is installed, creating a broad attack surface across various Apple operating systems including macOS and iOS. Organizations using QuickTime for multimedia content delivery face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted media files through email attachments, web downloads, or streaming services. The denial of service aspect of this vulnerability can be exploited to disrupt business operations by causing media applications to crash repeatedly, potentially affecting productivity and user experience across enterprise networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-1016 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment and system hardening measures. Apple released QuickTime 7.7.4 as a security update that addressed this vulnerability through enhanced input validation and improved buffer management within the H.263 decoder component. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of this security patch across all affected systems while implementing additional protective measures such as restricting user access to potentially malicious media files through content filtering solutions. Network-based mitigations can include implementing strict file type validation for media content and blocking H.263 encoded files from entering corporate networks. System administrators should also consider disabling QuickTime playback for untrusted content and implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized media player execution. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and proper input validation practices in multimedia processing applications, as similar flaws in other media frameworks have been documented in various security advisories and vulnerability assessments.