CVE-2017-12145 in libquicktime
Summary
by MITRE
In libquicktime 1.2.4, an allocation failure was found in the function quicktime_read_ftyp in ftyp.c, which allows attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12145 represents a critical denial of service condition within the libquicktime multimedia library version 1.2.4. This library serves as a crucial component for handling various multimedia formats including quicktime files, making it a potential target for attackers seeking to disrupt system operations. The flaw manifests specifically within the quicktime_read_ftyp function located in the ftyp.c source file, where improper memory allocation handling creates an exploitable condition that can be triggered through carefully crafted malicious files. The issue stems from the library's failure to properly validate or handle memory allocation requests during the parsing of file type metadata within quicktime containers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-704, which categorizes memory allocation failures and improper handling of dynamic memory as significant security concerns. When an attacker crafts a malicious file that triggers the quicktime_read_ftyp function, the library experiences an allocation failure that causes the application to crash or become unresponsive. This occurs because the function does not adequately check for allocation errors or implement proper error handling mechanisms when dealing with memory requests during file parsing operations. The flaw essentially creates a scenario where legitimate file processing operations can be interrupted by malformed input data, leading to system instability and service disruption.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that rely on libquicktime for multimedia processing, particularly those handling untrusted file inputs from web applications, email attachments, or file sharing services. The denial of service condition can affect various applications including media players, content management systems, and digital asset management platforms that depend on this library. Attackers can exploit this weakness to cause persistent service disruption, potentially leading to complete system unavailability or resource exhaustion, especially when the vulnerable applications do not implement proper input validation or exception handling. The impact extends beyond individual application crashes to potentially affect entire service availability, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multimedia processing is integral to business operations.
Effective mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-12145 involve immediate patching of the libquicktime library to version 1.2.5 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the memory allocation handling in the quicktime_read_ftyp function. System administrators should also implement comprehensive input validation mechanisms that sanitize all multimedia file inputs before processing, as recommended by the ATT&CK framework's defense in depth principles. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious file processing patterns and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable applications can provide additional protective layers. Organizations should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted multimedia files and regularly monitor for similar allocation failures in other multimedia libraries that may present analogous vulnerabilities. The fix addresses the root cause by ensuring proper error handling and memory allocation validation, preventing the exploitation scenario that leads to denial of service conditions.