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QuicktimeApplication · Apple

CVE-2008-3635

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-09-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 7.5 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Stack-based buffer overflow in QuickTimeInternetExtras.qtx in an unspecified third-party Indeo v3.2 (aka IV32) codec for QuickTime, when used with Apple QuickTime before 7.5.5 on Windows, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted movie file.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Stack-based buffer overflow in the QuickTimeInternetExtras.qtx component when processing the third-party Indeo v3.2 (IV32) codec. The vulnerability is triggered when QuickTime parses a specially crafted movie file containing malicious Indeo v3.2 encoded content, causing a stack overflow that can be exploited for arbitrary code execution or denial of service.

MitigationUpdate Apple QuickTime to version 7.5.5 or later, which contains the patch for this vulnerability. Alternatively, remove or disable the vulnerable third-party Indeo v3.2 codec if not required.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
QuicktimeApplication
Affected:<= 7.5= 7.0= 7.0.1= 7.0.2= 7.0.3= 7.0.4= 7.1= 7.1.1= 7.1.2= 7.1.3= 7.1.4= 7.1.5
IndeoApplication
Affected:= 3.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed QuickTime version
    On Windows, open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features and find Apple QuickTime, or right-click QuickTimePlayer.exe and select Properties > Details for version. On Mac, click Apple menu > About This Mac > More Info > Applications to find QuickTime Player version.
    Affected if The installed version is 7.0, 7.0.1, 7.0.2, 7.0.3, 7.0.4, 7.1, 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 7.1.3, 7.1.4, 7.1.5, or any version <= 7.5.
  2. Locate QuickTimeInternetExtras.qtx component
    Search for the file QuickTimeInternetExtras.qtx in the QuickTime plugin directory. On Windows this is typically C:\Program Files\QuickTime\QTSystem\ or within the application bundle. On Mac, check /Library/Application Support/QuickTime/ or within the QuickTimePlayer.app Contents/PlugIns folder.
    Affected if The file QuickTimeInternetExtras.qtx exists and contains the vulnerable Indeo v3.2 codec handler.
  3. Confirm Indeo v3.2 (IV32) codec presence
    Check for files related to the Indeo codec, typically named with IV32, indeo3, or similar in the QuickTime codec directories. Use system search or examine the QuickTimeInternetExtras.qtx resource contents if accessible.
    Affected if The Indeo v3.2 (IV32) codec is installed as a third-party QuickTime component.
  4. Verify QuickTime can process Indeo content
    Attempt to play a test file known to use Indeo v3.2 encoding, or check QuickTime codec list through the application (Movie > Show Movie Properties > Visual Settings > current codec).
    Affected if QuickTime lists or attempts to use the Indeo v3.2 codec for video decoding.

Your environment is affected if QuickTime version 7.0 through 7.1.5 (or any version <= 7.5) is installed AND the third-party Indeo v3.2 (IV32) codec component (QuickTimeInternetExtras.qtx) is present and accessible to QuickTime for processing movie files.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 7.5
Interim mitigation

Update Apple QuickTime to version 7.5.5 or later, which contains the patch for this vulnerability. Alternatively, remove or disable the vulnerable third-party Indeo v3.2 codec if not required.

Recommended fix High confidence

QuickTime 7.5.5 or later (latest available version)

  1. Check current QuickTime version by opening QuickTime Player and going to Help > About QuickTime on Windows
  2. Navigate to the official Apple QuickTime download page at https://support.apple.com/downloads/quicktime
  3. Download the latest version of QuickTime for Windows
  4. Run the installer and complete the installation process
  5. Restart any applications that use QuickTime after the update completes

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Quicktime Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-3635 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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