CVE-2015-7087 in QuickTime
Summary
by MITRE
Apple QuickTime before 7.7.9 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted movie file, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-7085, CVE-2015-7086, CVE-2015-7088, CVE-2015-7089, CVE-2015-7090, CVE-2015-7091, CVE-2015-7092, and CVE-2015-7117.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7087 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple QuickTime media player software versions prior to 7.7.9. This vulnerability exists in the handling of crafted movie files and presents a significant security risk that could be exploited by remote attackers to gain unauthorized control over affected systems. The flaw specifically manifests when QuickTime processes maliciously constructed media files, leading to unpredictable behavior that can result in arbitrary code execution or system crashes. This issue is distinct from several other vulnerabilities affecting the same software ecosystem, indicating a unique code path that requires specific attention from security professionals and system administrators.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper memory management during the parsing of multimedia content within QuickTime's media processing engine. When a specially crafted movie file is opened or played through an affected QuickTime version, the application fails to properly validate input data structures, leading to buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions. These memory corruption issues typically occur in the parser responsible for interpreting movie file headers and metadata, where insufficient bounds checking allows attacker-controlled data to overwrite critical memory regions. The vulnerability can be triggered through various attack vectors including email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites that serve QuickTime-compatible media files designed to exploit this specific flaw.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7087 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running QuickTime, potentially leading to complete system infiltration and persistent access. The memory corruption can cause application crashes that may be exploited for privilege escalation attacks, while the underlying flaw could also enable attackers to bypass security mechanisms such as address space layout randomization and data execution prevention. Organizations running affected QuickTime versions face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where users frequently interact with untrusted media content or where the software is automatically launched when media files are opened.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily focus on immediate software updates and comprehensive system hardening measures. The most effective remediation involves upgrading to Apple QuickTime version 7.7.9 or later, which contains patches specifically addressing the memory corruption issues identified in CVE-2015-7087. System administrators should implement strict patch management procedures to ensure all affected endpoints receive updates promptly, particularly in enterprise environments where multiple users may be exposed to malicious content. Additional protective measures include disabling QuickTime plugins in web browsers, implementing network-based content filtering to block suspicious media files, and establishing user awareness programs to prevent accidental execution of potentially malicious media content. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125 and CWE-787 categories related to out-of-bounds read and write conditions, and may be classified under ATT&CK techniques involving exploitation of software vulnerabilities for privilege escalation and remote code execution. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.