CVE-2015-7117 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-2015-7087, CVE-2015-7088, CVE-2015-7089, CVE-2015-7090, CVE-2015-7091, and CVE-2015-7092.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7117 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple QuickTime media player versions prior to 7.7.9. This vulnerability enables remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution or induce denial of service conditions through the manipulation of specially crafted movie files. The flaw operates at the core level of QuickTime's media parsing functionality, where improper handling of malformed movie file structures leads to unpredictable memory behavior. Unlike other vulnerabilities in the same advisory such as CVE-2015-7085 through CVE-2015-7092, this issue specifically targets the movie file parsing engine that processes various multimedia formats including mov, qt, and other QuickTime container formats. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management practices within QuickTime's media processing pipeline, creating opportunities for attackers to craft malicious content that triggers buffer overflows or heap corruption during file parsing operations. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of Stack-based Buffer Overflow, though it manifests as a heap-based issue in the context of media file processing. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no user interaction beyond opening a maliciously crafted movie file, making it a prime target for drive-by download attacks and social engineering campaigns. The operational impact extends beyond simple application crashes to potentially enabling full system compromise through the execution of arbitrary code in the context of the user running QuickTime. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability allows attackers to execute malicious payloads with the privileges of the user running QuickTime, potentially leading to complete system compromise and persistent backdoor access.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2015-7117 leverages specific weaknesses in QuickTime's file format parsing logic where the application fails to properly validate the structure and content of movie files before processing them. Attackers craft movie files containing malformed data structures that, when parsed by the vulnerable QuickTime version, cause memory corruption through improper pointer arithmetic or buffer overflow conditions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because QuickTime is often installed on end-user systems and is frequently used to play media content from untrusted sources such as email attachments, web downloads, or malicious websites. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing of movie file headers, metadata, or actual media data streams, where insufficient bounds checking allows attackers to overwrite critical memory locations. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 by enabling initial access through malicious media files, and T1059 for code execution once the memory corruption is achieved. The exploitation process typically involves crafting a movie file with carefully constructed data that triggers the memory corruption when QuickTime attempts to parse and render the content, leading either to application crash or successful code execution. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic example of how multimedia processing libraries can become attack surfaces when proper input sanitization is lacking.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-7117 focus primarily on immediate patching and system hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected QuickTime installations to version 7.7.9 or later, which includes proper input validation and memory management fixes. System administrators should implement network segmentation and content filtering to prevent users from accessing untrusted media content, particularly through email attachments or web downloads. The use of sandboxing technologies can provide additional protection by isolating QuickTime execution from the rest of the system, limiting potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to malicious movie files and implement automated scanning of file downloads for known malicious patterns. Regular vulnerability assessments should include checking for outdated QuickTime installations across all endpoints, as this vulnerability affects a wide range of operating systems including macOS versions that were vulnerable to the flaw. Network-based intrusion detection systems can be configured to detect and block traffic patterns associated with exploitation attempts, while endpoint protection solutions should be updated to recognize and prevent execution of malicious QuickTime content. The remediation process should also include user education about the risks of opening unknown movie files and the importance of keeping software updated. Organizations should also consider disabling QuickTime support in web browsers where possible, as this reduces the attack surface for drive-by exploitation attempts. Regular security audits should verify that the patch has been successfully applied and that no vulnerable versions remain in the environment, ensuring comprehensive protection against this and similar memory corruption vulnerabilities.