CVE-2015-3661 in QuickTime
Summary
by MITRE
QT Media Foundation in Apple QuickTime before 7.7.7, as used in OS X before 10.10.4 and other products, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted file, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-3662, CVE-2015-3663, CVE-2015-3666, CVE-2015-3667, and CVE-2015-3668.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-3661 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple QuickTime's QT Media Foundation component that affected multiple operating systems and applications. This vulnerability specifically impacts Apple QuickTime versions prior to 7.7.7 and operates on OS X versions before 10.10.4, making it a widespread concern across numerous systems. The flaw manifests when the affected software processes a specially crafted media file, potentially allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or trigger denial of service conditions. The vulnerability operates at the core level of media processing, where the QT Media Foundation component handles various multimedia formats and protocols, making it a prime target for exploitation due to its extensive use in media playback scenarios.
Technical analysis reveals that this memory corruption vulnerability stems from improper input validation and handling within the QuickTime media processing engine. When the affected software encounters a malformed or maliciously crafted media file, the QT Media Foundation component fails to properly validate memory allocations and buffer boundaries, leading to potential memory corruption that can be leveraged by attackers. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. The attack vector requires remote delivery of malicious media content through various channels including email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites, where users inadvertently trigger the vulnerable media processing functionality.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-3661 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the memory corruption can potentially be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution on affected systems. This makes it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious media content through various attack vectors including spear-phishing campaigns, compromised websites, or malicious file sharing platforms. The vulnerability affects not only end-user systems but also server environments that process or serve media content, potentially creating additional attack surfaces for threat actors. Organizations running affected QuickTime versions face significant risk of unauthorized system access, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within network environments, especially when users interact with untrusted media content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3661 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment and system hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize updating to Apple QuickTime 7.7.7 or later versions, as well as upgrading to OS X 10.10.4 or newer releases that contain the necessary security patches. Network administrators should implement content filtering solutions to block suspicious media file types and establish strict access controls for media processing applications. Additionally, security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and implement behavioral monitoring to detect anomalous media processing activities. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current software versions and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include application whitelisting, sandboxing of media processing applications, and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in multimedia frameworks and components.