CVE-2015-3779 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
QuickTime 7 in Apple OS X before 10.10.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted file, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-3765, CVE-2015-3788, CVE-2015-3789, CVE-2015-3790, CVE-2015-3791, CVE-2015-3792, CVE-2015-5751, CVE-2015-5753, and CVE-2015-5779.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2025
QuickTime 7 in Apple macOS versions prior to 10.10.5 contains a critical memory corruption vulnerability that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service conditions through the careful crafting of malicious files. This vulnerability represents a distinct threat vector from several other related issues affecting the same software ecosystem, including CVE-2015-3765, CVE-2015-3788, CVE-2015-3789, CVE-2015-3790, CVE-2015-3791, CVE-2015-3792, CVE-2015-5751, CVE-2015-5753, and CVE-2015-5779, each addressing different aspects of QuickTime's security posture. The flaw manifests when QuickTime processes specially crafted media files that contain malformed data structures, leading to unpredictable memory behavior that can be exploited to gain unauthorized code execution privileges or force application crashes that result in denial of service conditions. This vulnerability operates at the core of QuickTime's media parsing functionality, where the application fails to properly validate input data before attempting to process it, creating a pathway for attackers to manipulate memory layout and execute malicious instructions through carefully constructed file formats. The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities, both of which are common attack surfaces in multimedia processing libraries. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to macOS users who may encounter malicious files through email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites, as QuickTime's integration with the operating system means that exploitation can occur without explicit user interaction beyond opening the malicious content. The impact extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially allow full system compromise, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently access compromised content. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary code within the context of the QuickTime process, potentially leading to privilege escalation or complete system compromise depending on the execution environment. The vulnerability's exploitation requires network-based delivery of malicious files, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1203 for exploitation for persistence and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage, though the initial entry point relies on the delivery mechanism rather than direct command execution. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected macOS systems to 10.10.5 or later versions, as well as implementing network-based security controls to filter potentially malicious QuickTime content. Additional mitigations include disabling QuickTime plugin support in web browsers, implementing application whitelisting policies, and monitoring for unusual memory access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in multimedia processing applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of media handling components within operating system ecosystems.