CVE-2016-4596 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
QuickTime in Apple OS X before 10.11.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via a crafted FlashPix bitmap image, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-4597, CVE-2016-4600, and CVE-2016-4602.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4596 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within Apple's QuickTime media framework affecting macOS versions prior to 10.11.6. This security issue specifically targets the FlashPix bitmap image handling component of QuickTime, which is commonly used for processing high-resolution image files. The vulnerability falls under the category of remote code execution and denial of service conditions, making it particularly dangerous for network-based attacks. The flaw demonstrates how legacy multimedia processing components can contain dangerous memory management issues that persist across multiple system versions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when QuickTime processes a specially crafted FlashPix bitmap image file. The memory corruption arises from improper bounds checking and memory allocation handling within the image parsing routine. When the system attempts to decode the malformed FlashPix file, the parser fails to properly validate the image structure, leading to buffer overflows or heap corruption that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running QuickTime process. This type of vulnerability is classified as a CWE-121 heap-based buffer overflow according to the Common Weakness Enumeration standard. The attack vector requires only that a user open or preview the malicious file, making it particularly insidious for social engineering campaigns.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to enterprise environments where macOS systems are prevalent and users frequently handle multimedia content from untrusted sources. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can deliver malicious FlashPix files through email attachments, web downloads, or compromised websites without requiring local system access. The memory corruption can result in system crashes, application instability, or complete system compromise depending on the exploitation method. The vulnerability's similarity to other CVEs from the same timeframe indicates a pattern of issues within Apple's QuickTime implementation, suggesting broader architectural problems in the multimedia framework that require comprehensive remediation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including mandatory macOS updates to version 10.11.6 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the memory corruption issues. Network administrators should consider implementing content filtering solutions to block FlashPix file types from entering the network, particularly in high-risk environments. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for abuse of remote services and T1203 for exploitation for execution. Security teams should monitor for indicators of compromise related to QuickTime processes exhibiting unusual memory behavior or unexpected code execution patterns. Additionally, users should be educated about the dangers of opening unknown multimedia files and the importance of keeping systems updated with the latest security patches to prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities in the QuickTime framework.