Apple QuickTime ActiveX v5.0.2 Buffer Overrun (a091002-1)

From: @stake Advisories (@stake)
Date: Tue Sep 10 2002 - 13:57:25 PDT

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                                  @stake Inc.
                                www.atstake.com
    
                               Security Advisory
    
    Advisory Name: Apple QuickTime ActiveX v5.0.2 Buffer Overrun
     Release Date: 09/10/2002
      Application: Apple QuickTime ActiveX v5.0.2 
         Platform: Windows NT4 SP6a, Windows 2000 SP1
                   Windows XP
         Severity: There is a buffer overflow condition that 
                   can result in execution of arbitrary
                   code. 
           Author: Ollie Whitehouse [ollieat_private]
    Contributions: Andreas Junestam [andreasat_private]
                   Dave Aitel
    Vendor Status: Vendor has fixed software update
    CVE Candidate: CAN-2002-0376
        Reference: www.atstake.com/research/advisories/2002/a091002-1.txt
    
    
    Overview:
    
    Apple QuickTime (http://www.quicktime.com) is the media player
    used by a large number of distributors for high quality video and
    audio based media. Version 5.0 has been downloaded over 100,000,000
    times. There is a buffer overrun caused by the way that the QuickTime
    ActiveX component handles the "pluginspage" field when parsed from a
    malicious remote orlocal HTML page.  This can allow the execution of
    arbitrary computer code on the computer viewing the malicious web
    page. The QuickTime ActiveX component is commonly used for movie
    trailers (i.e. those located at http://www.apple.com/trailers/) and 
    other streaming or static media technologies when they are embedded
    in a web page. 
    
    
    Details:
    
    To exploit this vulnerability an attacker would need to get his or
    her target to open a malicious HTML file as an attachment to an
    email message, as a file on the local or network file system, or as 
    a file via HTTP.  Most likely this would be accomplished by embedding
    a link to a vulnerabile web site in an email message or another web
    page. If the malicious HTML file is opened it will cause Quicktime to 
    execute the arbitrary computer code contained within the HTML page.
    
            Take the following example HTML page:
    
            ---- Begin Sample HTML
            <OBJ7ECT CLASSID="clsid:02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B"
              WIDTH="480" HEIGHT="376">
              <PA7RAM NAME="src" VALUE="test.mov">
              <PA7RAM NAME="controller" VALUE="false">
              <PA7RAM NAME="target" VALUE="myself">
              <PA7RAM NAME="href" VALUE="test.mov">
              <PA7RAM NAME="pluginspage" VALUE="insert overly long
    string here">
              <EM7BED WIDTH="480" HEIGHT="376" CONTROLLER="false"
              TARGET="myself" HREF="test2.mov"
              SRC="test.mov"
              BGCOLOR="FFFFFF"
              BORDER="0"
              PLUGINSPAGE="insert overly long string here">
              </EM7BED>
            </OB7JECT>
            ---- End Sample HTML
    
    [note: remove the '7's in the tags above to create valid HTML]
    
    This sample HTML when, edited to insert an overly long string, will
    cause an exception that is exploitable.
    
    It is possible for an attacker to specify a codebase that will
    download a vulnerable version of the ActiveX component.
    
    This is a good example of why not to trust *ANY* ActiveX components
    from any unknown source even if the site is considered safe and the
    ActiveX component is signed on behalf of a trusted organization. 
    
    
    Vendor Response:
    
    Apple was notified of this issue by @stake on May 13, 2002.
    
    Apple has resolved this issue within QuickTime 6 which can be
    downloaded from http://www.apple.com/quicktime/.
    
    
    Recommendation:
    
    If you use Quicktime, upgrade to Quicktime 6.  If you are a web 
    site that hosts the qtplugin.cab file you should upgrade to
    version 6.
    
    You should never open attachments/webpages that come from 
    unknown sources no matter how benign they may appear. Be wary of
    those that come from known sources.
    
    You can set the "kill bit" for a known vulnerable ActiveX component
    by editting the registry.  This will keep Internet Explorer from 
    executing the vulnerable component.  Directions for setting the kill
    bit on a are at: 
    http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;q240797&
    
    You should consider the benefits and risks of each attachment file 
    type or ActiveX components that you let into your organization. 
    Attachment file types or ActiveX components that you do not need
    should be dropped at your perimeter mail gateway or proxy server. 
    Attachments that you choose to forward on into your organization
    should be scanned for known malicious code using an antivirus product.
    
    
    Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Information:
    
    The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) project has
    assigned the following names to these issues.  These are candidates
    for inclusion in the CVE list (http://cve.mitre.org), which 
    standardizes names for security problems.
    
         CAN-2002-0376 Apple QuickTime ActiveX v5.0.2 Buffer Overrun
    
    
    @stake Vulnerability Reporting Policy:
    http://www.atstake.com/research/policy/
    
    @stake Advisory Archive:
    http://www.atstake.com/research/advisories/
    
    PGP Key:
    http://www.atstake.com/research/pgp_key.asc
    
    Copyright 2002 @stake, Inc. All rights reserved.
    
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