CVE-2015-7074 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
CoreMedia Playback in Apple iOS before 9.2, OS X before 10.11.2, and tvOS before 9.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a malformed media file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7074 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within CoreMedia Playback components of Apple's operating systems. This vulnerability affects iOS versions prior to 9.2, macOS versions before 10.11.2, and tvOS versions before 9.1, creating a widespread attack surface across Apple's ecosystem. The flaw manifests when the affected playback components process malformed media files, enabling attackers to exploit memory corruption patterns that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system denial of service. The vulnerability resides in the media processing pipeline where insufficient input validation occurs during the parsing of multimedia content, creating opportunities for malicious actors to craft specially crafted media files that trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-125, which addresses out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. Attackers can leverage this weakness by delivering malicious media files through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or malicious streaming content. The exploitation process typically involves crafting media files with malformed headers or corrupted data structures that cause the CoreMedia framework to improperly handle memory allocation during playback operations. When the vulnerable system attempts to parse these malicious files, the memory corruption can result in execution flow redirection or complete system compromise, depending on the specific memory corruption pattern achieved. This vulnerability demonstrates the inherent risks associated with multimedia processing components that handle untrusted input without adequate sanitization mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7074 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full system compromise capabilities that align with ATT&CK technique T1203 for exploitation for persistence. Organizations and end users operating affected versions face significant security risks as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring user interaction beyond opening or playing the malicious media content. This makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where media content may be shared through various channels including email systems, file servers, and web portals. The vulnerability's presence in CoreMedia Playback components means that any application relying on Apple's media handling capabilities could potentially be compromised, including web browsers, media players, and content management systems that utilize Apple's native frameworks. The memory corruption patterns associated with this vulnerability can result in unpredictable system behavior, making detection and mitigation particularly challenging.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7074 primarily focus on immediate system updates to the patched versions of Apple's operating systems. Organizations should prioritize deployment of iOS 9.2, macOS 10.11.2, and tvOS 9.1 updates across all affected devices to eliminate the vulnerability. Network administrators should implement content filtering measures to prevent download and execution of potentially malicious media files, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted content. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify and block suspicious media file patterns associated with known exploitation techniques. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining current security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include application whitelisting, sandboxing of media processing components, and regular security assessments of multimedia handling capabilities. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically addressing media-based attacks and ensure that system administrators are trained to recognize and respond to potential exploitation attempts targeting multimedia processing components.