CVE-2016-1848 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
QuickTime in Apple OS X before 10.11.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1848 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's QuickTime media framework affecting operating systems prior to version 10.11.5. This vulnerability resides in the core multimedia processing components that handle various media file formats, creating a pathway for remote code execution attacks. The flaw manifests when QuickTime processes specially crafted media files that contain malformed data structures, leading to unpredictable memory behavior that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized system access or disrupt normal operations.
Technical analysis reveals that the vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within QuickTime's file parsing routines. When the media framework encounters maliciously constructed files, the parsing logic fails to properly handle boundary conditions and data alignment, resulting in buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions. This memory corruption occurs during the processing of media metadata or actual content streams, where the application attempts to write beyond allocated memory boundaries or access freed memory regions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the kernel level within the operating system's multimedia subsystem, providing attackers with elevated privileges and direct access to system resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-1848 extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass significant denial of service capabilities that can be leveraged for persistent system disruption. Attackers can craft malicious media files that, when opened automatically by QuickTime or accessed through web browsers, trigger the memory corruption and cause system crashes or complete application failures. The vulnerability affects both interactive and automated exploitation scenarios, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may encounter malicious content through email attachments, web downloads, or embedded media in documents. Network-based attacks can be particularly effective as the vulnerability can be triggered without user interaction when QuickTime automatically processes media content from web pages or network shares.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the CWE-125 weakness category, which encompasses out-of-bounds read errors that can lead to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1203 technique for "Exploitation for Client Execution" and T1059 for "Command and Scripting Interpreter" as attackers can leverage the executed code to establish persistent access or escalate privileges. Mitigation strategies must include immediate patch deployment to update to Apple OS X 10.11.5 or later versions, along with network segmentation to prevent automatic media processing from untrusted sources. Additional protective measures involve disabling QuickTime plugin support in web browsers, implementing strict file type validation, and monitoring for unusual memory access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict QuickTime execution to trusted environments only, given the vulnerability's potential for privilege escalation and system compromise.